Compulsion
by Caliko
Summary: I've UPDATED! the stage is set, and the players are in place.....
1. Desperate measures

I had to keep my head clear! I could not allow myself to believe in his plans of escape. I knew when I started this that there would be no future with him. Our families have fought for generations, and his father would probably kill both of us if he didn't leave me behind with the rest of his memories of Hogwarts.

Draco would do it too. Even if we loved each other, he would never choose me over his privileged future. Of course, we were never about that. No, we loved the way we made each other feel, the passion in each others touch, the fight for dominance when we had sex. But it was never _love_! Well, at least not on his part.

As the weeks went by, we met each night in our secret room, sometimes making love, sometimes sleeping, sometimes, simply talking. Slowly, I began to admit to myself that my obsession may have been a bit more than that. I began to look forward to being with him. We shared small, discreet glances across the dining hall, slight touches as we passed in the crowded corridors. Each night, we met earlier, going back to our rooms for lights out, only to sneak back as soon as everyone was asleep.

Yet, I knew that it wouldn't last. Regardless of how I might have felt, Draco Malfoy was incapable of feeling true love. I knew that he would laugh if I asked him to stay with me. I still had one year left of school, and how would we live without his allowance? Surely, his father would suspend that if he knew that his only child was sleeping with a hated Weasley! And why should he dirty his hands with menial work? No, better to take what time we had, and not say a word.

For that reason, I kept my secrets to myself as I lay with him spooned against my back. Even if I had told him anything, it wouldn't change what he would do. As I have said, he might play at planning forever, but we both know that we only had the now.

His breathing changed, and I knew that he was awake. He had been dozing after our usual strenuous session, his palm resting against my womb as if he knew what I had been hiding from him. Determined, I ignored the twinge of guilt that flared up at the thought. His knowing wouldn't change anything. After all, he was Draco Malfoy! He had no heart!

I shivered as he ran his palm over my stomach, feeling the tension that darted through my muscles.

"What are you thinking about, Ginny?" He whispered, curious. 

He always asked me things like that, wanting to know how I thought, what I thought about, he said. Draco was interested in everything, even my tears! Especially my tears! 

He wanted to know what made me cry, who upset me, and why. It was as if he could stop the world from ridiculing me, as if it wasn't allowed from the moment I became his possession.

Possession. A deep, dark sliver of my mind was certain that that was why he was so careful with me. Draco Malfoy always kept his possessions neat and in working order…. Why would a girlfriend be any different, to him?

"Us." I knew better than to lie. He always knew when I was hiding anything.

"Hmm? What about us?" He kissed the back of my neck, enjoying the shivers that ran through my body at his touch.

"End of year is coming… you'll be leaving for good, soon." It was better to stick to the truth as much as possible. If I lied outright, he wouldn't stop pestering me until he found out the truth… the whole truth. 

"So? We'll still see each other. We could meet in Diagon Alley anytime, you know. We're always just a floo away."

"I don't think your father will like that, Draco. I don't think he'll allow it." His hand stilled on my belly, and I held my breath, wondering if he noticed the slight swell that I only discovered that same morning.

"I'm an adult, Gin. My father has no say in what I do, and even less in who I see. As far as I'm concerned, he can sod off."

"Draco… he'll disown you."

"I have my own money, from my mother's uncle. Comes with a castle not too far away from Hogsmead, actually."

"He could kill me." I said it quietly, letting the words sink in. "He would kill me, Draco."

He was still for a moment, his arms tightening around my still slim body. "You're mine, Ginny. I won't let him."

"But.."

Gently, he rolled me over to my back, and stole my lips with his. Laying soft, butterfly kisses over my chin, he murmured reassurances, as if he comforted a child. "Shh.. He won't get you, Ginny-girl. I told you, I won't allow near you."

I didn't want to fight him. We only had a few short weeks left, after all. I might be able to meet him over the summer, but come September, I would be too big to lie to him any longer. 

:::Better to break it off before school ends.::: I closed my eyes, submitting for now.. For possibly the last time. I simply couldn't risk it anymore.

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"This isn't over, Ginny!" He raged, his voice rising, oblivious to the stares that shot our way. I could see Ron come down the steps, and knew that I had to silence him somehow. 

"Draco, everyone is staring!" I pleaded, my hand touching his, "Please! I don't need this right now!"

"I don't care if Voldemort himself where here, staring! I want to know what this is all about, Gin! It's about my father, isn't it? Isn't it?"

"No! Please, lower your voice! Ron is coming this way."

"I told you I wouldn't let him near you. I mean it, Virginia! You're mine, I wouldn't let him hurt you!"

"Draco… I'm not 'yours'. I belong to myself, and I have to take care of myself. I can't rely on you, or anyone else to keep me safe. I'm sorry, Draco… but it _is_ over."

Ron was about five feet away, close enough to hear everything we said. Ignoring his call, I turned around and ran to the carriages taking us to the train. 

::Now, If only Draco let's me go.:::

Ron sat across from me on the way home, staring as if I were a bug he had never seen before. Every once in a while, he'd open his mouth, then close it, unable to comment. The very fact that Draco and I had been seeing each other behind his back just blew his mind apart. Finally, he coughed, breaking the silence.

"What was that about?" 

Four little words, that nonetheless, asked quite a bit. :::How much should I tell him? Eventually, he would know everything, but could I trust him not to confront Draco right now, in front of everyone? Still, I would need him in my corner when I told our parents.:::

Resigned, I looked into his eyes, demanding his full attention. "Before I say anything, I want your word that you will not confront Draco with what I'm telling you."

"Why don't you tell me, and then I'll decide." He tried, already disliking my tone of voice.

"It doesn't work that way, Ron. Either you give my your word now, or you can sod off."

"Sod off?" He squeaked, "Is that what you learned hanging around him?"

I simply stared at him, willing my brother to either agree or go away.

"Alright. I won't talk to Malfoy."

"Promise?"

Now it was his turn to stare. Sighing, I sat up straighter, and watched the scenery outside the window. It flashed past us, a never-ending tunnel of greenery and rock. I've often wondered in the past if it was the true scenery of Scotland and England, or a magical simulation meant to keep the unwary traveler in the dark over Hogwarts location.

Finally, I spoke. "We were lovers. I was ending it before his father decided to make me a target for the death eaters."

"Did Lucius Malfoy threaten you?" He spat out, further outraged that his baby sister might have had to face the monster.

"No.. He didn't have to. I knew how it would end even before I first approached Draco."

"You approached him? Ginny! What possessed you?" I could hear the disbelief in his voice, and couldn't help but be amused. 

"Ron, did you think I was an angel? A naïve little girl who never felt any passion? Trust me, you are way off."

"But…"

"There's more. Something even Draco doesn't know… If he did, he wouldn't have let me walk away earlier."

"No… not.. That."

"I'm pregnant." I ignored his protest. He would figure it out, eventually when I outgrew my dresses. "If he found out, he would insist on being noble, and well.." I grinned, laughing at myself, "Nobility doesn't suit Malfoy."

"He deserves to know, Ginny." He said it so quietly, that I wasn't sure I heard him right.

"I thought you hated him." 

"I do, but it's still his child. I hate myself for telling you this, and God knows, I can't stand the bloody prat, but he deserves the chance to know his own child." He was quiet, then growled, "I can't believe I'm taking his side in this!"

I couldn't help it. I slid down into my seat, giggling softly as I met his disgusted face. "Ron, you're a guy. Of course your going to see things his way. But, you have to understand, that If I told Draco about the baby, he would insist on us getting married. Can you imagine what his father would do? I can… and I won't risk it."

"You still have to tell him, Ginny."

"No." 

He sighed, then gave up, reading the finality in my words. "Just think about it, Gin. I'll stand by what ever you say, but he DOES deserve to know."

Ron reached across the gap between seats, and took my hand in his, giving it a supportive squeeze. "You do know that I'm still going to kill him." He smirked, "I just have to make up a good reason, first."

I squeezed back, then let go. It felt weird, holding onto his hand. It might have been because I simply wasn't the little girl who worshipped her older brother anymore. It might have been because I wasn't the innocent child he used to protect, or it simply might have been because I didn't feel as if I deserved his understanding, and felt unsettled that he had given it anyway. Either way, we had reached a turning point in our relationship, and I had the worst feeling that nothing would ever be the same.

Hermione and Harry chose that moment to come in, laughing over something they had saw on the other end of the train. I pretended to be interested, and Ron, sensing that what I told him was to stay between us, did as well. 

Still, I couldn't quite stop the stinging in my eyes when Draco's name was mentioned. I felt myself look away from the happy threesome, needing desperately to put some mental space between myself, and the graduated trio.

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I told my parents the next day. I didn't want to, and goodness knows, I would probably still be putting it off if Mum hadn't heard me be sick in the upstairs bathroom. Worried, she banged on the door, demanding entrance, and horrified, I looked up and begged her to go away. 

She wouldn't, though, and the argument became louder as the minutes dragged on. I stood up, and rinsed my mouth out, then flushed the toilet, and still she wouldn't leave. I couldn't blame her, she was the very thing I would shortly become - a mother.

Still, enough was quite enough already! 

I finally got the air to break through her tyrant. "I'm not sick! I'm pregnant!" I shouted, hearing loud crashes come from outside the door and downstairs. Then, and ominous silence hung over the Burrow.

:::Well, that was easier than I thought… maybe it was the locked door. I certainly felt safer that they couldn't reach me just yet.:::

Then, the handle turned with an array of golden sparks. Good old alohamora, or a close cousin, anyway.

The flimsy wood opened slowly, then thumbed against the black and white tiled wall. My mother and father stared at me from the hallway, with the twins and Percy standing behind them on the staircase. Ron was to the left, smiling encouragingly from his bedroom door, letting me know that he was there if I needed help.

I took a deep breath, then repeated. "I'm not sick. I'm pregnant."

A mixed up jumble of questions followed that, and I almost sank to the floor, too embarrassed to go too deeply into detail, and too much the obedient daughter NOT to answer them. Finally, Ron took charge in his usual obnoxious way.

"You know, I think she needs to go lay down. She's looking a bit green there."

I breathed a sigh of relief as everyone got quiet. Then, my parents realized that we had an audience. Turning around sharply, she came face to face with the twins. Tweaking Georges ear (or was it Fred?) she twisted, then pointed silently downstairs. The three men didn't have to be told twice. They ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, meeting directly under the thin flooring below the bathroom in which I stood. Ron shrugged, then followed before Mum had to use force. Then, she turned to me and pointed to my room.

I sat on my bed and waited for them to come in. Daddy was extremely uncomfortable with all of this. I could tell by watching him that all he really wanted to do was leave with the rest of the boys and let his wife handle it. He would be quite happy to come back when everything was settled, perhaps even go to the boy's house and demand satisfaction or give the young wizard a man to man talk about responsibility. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped in this tiny room in which his youngest child, his only daughter slept, talking about the one thing each father dreads the moment they are told that they have a daughter.

Mum, on the other hand, was stoically determined to get this over with. She dreaded it just as much, but like any good Englishwoman, she stiffened her resolve and plowed right in, refusing to go away without having the discussion first.

"Who was it?" She demanded, her eyes giving no quarter.

:::It looks like It's this again.::: I sighed, then proceeded to tell them the entire story. In the end, they didn't agree with me. Like Ron, they felt that it was Draco's right to know about the child. They also pointed something out that I hadn't thought of before. 

"How can you support a child when I hadn't even finished school yet? Your father and I aren't made of money, Young lady, and babies take a lot of money! More to the point, whether we liked it or not, Daddy work s with Lucius Malfoy. Eventually, he'll find out that your father is a grandfather, and wonder which one of you has had a child. The wizarding world was a small one. Young Malfoy would find out eventually, and then he would hate you. It's awfully hard to raise a child with someone who hates you. It's better to simply tell him.

"No." They didn't understand at all. I couldn't tell Draco when he still didn't believe the threat his father really was. Then, there was also the problem with the arrogant ass's insistence that I belonged to him. The baby would seal that belief, and then I would never be anything else but a possession to him.

Everything would have been much easier if I had fallen in lust with a simple poor boy with no family and no self-esteem.

In the end, they had their way. Father sent an owl that very day to Mr. Malfoy requesting his son's direction, and received an extremely rude one in return. Not daunted, knowing that their feelings of loathing for each other was mutual, he sent another, explaining that they were to be grandparents, and he was simply informing the young father in lieu of his daughters obstinate refusal to do so herself.

Now, THAT got a better answer, of course. Mr. Malfoy came almost immediatly with Draco, demanding proof that the child was his son's. Of course, I was still unwilling to spend the rest of my life as a possession, no matter how much I loved Draco (and yes, I must finally admit that I loved him.) I also didn't see my life being that much longer with the elder Malfoy knowing what had been going on in the secret rooms of Hogwarts.

So, to borrow a saying, desperate times call for desperate measures. I gathered what money I had, as well as my robes, and snuck out through the fireplace while they were all arguing in the kitchen.

I knew that it was far from over. Draco would realize that if I were pregnant, than it could only be with his child. He would come after me and haul me back if I didn't find a safe place to hide! 

I got off the floo network somewhere in Diagon Alley. Of course, this would be the first place they looked, so I couldn't stay near the public entrance for much longer. I also couldn't go anywhere obvious, such as the Leaky Cauldron. 

::::They wouldn't suspect me to go into the muggle world.::: 

It was a rogue thought, but a good one. I made my way to the physical entrance, and out through the Leaky Cauldron's front doors and into the bright sunlight of the oblivious muggle world. 

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A/N - Alright. I'm going to end this chapter here. For one thing, I have no idea what will happen to Ginny from this point. I know that 1) She has to find some sort of job. And 2) she has to find somewhere to live. Also, 3) I refuse to allow this to end without somehow getting Draco and Ginny back together. /sigh/ 

SOOO… I'll stop here and think about it for a bit. Maybe play with some ideas tonight. G

~Caliko


	2. Flyers

I don't own HP, and I make no money from this fic. I write simply to tell a story that won't leave my head till it's told! ^_^ Please forgive me for the rather.. Menial job I gave Ginny. I was trying to keep as realistic as possible, and Ginny becoming rich and famous while she was preggers wasn't quite..that. 

Don't get me wrong - I actually toyed with her becoming a model. That is, until I imagined an 8 month preggers woman in a bikini. That just about changed my mind for me! Lol 

SO.. Here we go!

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Compulsion: Chapter 3  
By Caliko

:::There are some things I wouldn't do to earn money. ::: I thought, watching Tom cut into the fish. :::To bad gutting fish isn't one of them.:::

Trying to keep my mouth from twisting into a disgusted grimace, I took the knife into my latex-covered hands and attempted to mimic the veteran fish fryer in such a way that it looked as if I knew what I was doing. It didn't work. Once again, he took the knife and patiently showed how to slice the fish in such so that you ended up with uniform fillets. Finally, after four or five fish, he was satisfied, and went back to his grill.

It was an ordinary day at Cap'n Hooks Seafood, and I had finally graduated from cashier to cook. To be honest, I think it was a matter of image. I worked hard, so they didn't want to fire me, but at the same time, my less than wholesome appearance contradicted with the family atmosphere they tried to project.

The best solution? Stick me in the back of the kitchen where only my fellow coworkers would see my pregnant teenage body. I wasn't that happy with it, but I enjoyed eating. In other words, I put up with the fishy smelling hands and the burns on my arms from the spitting oil. 

At the end of the day, I collected my pay and walked the two blocks to the rooming house where I lived. I had the suite at the rear of the old Victorian, opening up to a small community garden that we all took turns to care for. The owner of the house was a little old lady by the name of Mrs. Fumble, who had the thickest glasses I had ever seen. 

Those glasses were a plus. They couldn't see the slight difference in ink on the date of the birth certificate I had shown her as proof of age. She also didn't question the hospital of birth, not seeing anything strange at all about a healthcare facility named Lord Merlins. Mrs. Fumble didn't see a lot of things… which made her rooming house the ideal place to hide out in.

I dared not use too much magic - since I was underage, and missing at that, I knew that the ministry would have people keyed to my magical frequency. If I was extravagant, they would catch me in a second, and I would be right back where I started from.

So, I pretended to be a muggle and enjoyed it. Often, I would help my landlady out cooking breakfast for the five of us who lived there. I didn't mind, even though I paid for Mrs. Fumble to cook my meals for me. That dear woman had enough to do, simply trying to keep ends meet without being run ragged cooking and cleaning for three old bachelors and us two ladies! 

Of course, she COULD stop feeding the stray cats in the neighbourhood, but I was glad she didn't. Often, one of those cats where my sole company when I sat in the garden at night, staring at what should have been a starry sky.

That was my life, these days. With less than a month before I was due, I spent the morning cooking and dusting for Mrs. Fumble, and the afternoon and early evening working at Cap'n Hooks. I had Sunday's off every week, and I would spend them rummaging through the consignment shops for baby paraphernalia of all types.

This Sunday, I had found this adorable bassinet, complete with ruffled canopy, and I was floating all the way home. Gloating, actually. I had ripped it from the hands of someone much less fortunate than I was. She lost, I won, and that was that. My baby had a place to sleep when she came home. Yes, Sundays were good.

I came to the corner café, where I usually stopped for a quick tea, and plopped my find down on the table next to me. I couldn't help but coo over it, imagining my blond (or redheaded) child laying inside, giggling, and kicking her feet into the air. 

The waitress on duty didn't usually interrupt, but simply put my usual cup of decaffeinated tea and biscuit down next to me. Amelia had seen me do this too many times in the last five months to let it phase her now. 

However, there was a look in her eye this time. Before she left, she tapped the table in front of me, bringing my attention to a slip of pager that peaked out from beneath my plate. I nodded to show that I had seen it, then sat down to eat.

A few minutes later, I nearly choked as the liquid went down the wrong way. I had slid the paper free of the plate, and opened it up to see what it was. There, in living color, was a muggle picture of me from when I visited Hermione the summer before, as well as this line: "Missing - 7,000 pound reward for information on the whereabouts of Virginia Weasely." Under that there was a phone number I had never heard of, and another line, telling one and all that my parents were very worried about me.

I sighed, then looked up, meeting Amelia's gaze. I nodded my thanks, then shoved the paper into my pocketbook. I would have to be more careful. Leaving payment on the table, I stood up and picked up the bassinet before starting the short walk home.

Mrs. Fumble always looked forward to my finds, and today would be no different. Just put one foot in front of the other, pretend that you hadn't just received the shock of your life, and go on as if nothing had happened.

I finally made it to the rooming house, and started up the steps. Step one, step two.. Freeze. Tacked to the door was another poster, with the same muggle photograph. I hurriedly rip it down, then shoot my eyes over the street, looking for another. There were none.

My hand gripped the bassinet hard, and I was sure that the delicate white wicker was cracked. Slowly, I pretended that nothing was wrong, and opened the door.

The hallway was empty when I called out a greeting. No feet came to meet me, so I assumed that everyone was out. Strange, really. Mrs. Fumble very rarely left the building, except to go grocery shopping. I glanced into the front sitting room, and relaxed. She was there, napping.

Still, something felt.. Off. Silently, I slipped my shoes from my feet, and padded upstairs to my rooms. The sooner I was sitting down, the sooner I could figure out what the poster on just my door meant. 

Those stupid posters! Really! It was just coincidence! What else could it be? I hadn't seen anyone from the wizarding world hanging about! 

:::Anyone I knew, anyway.::: The thought forced itself up from the depths of my consciousness, evil and mocking as I realized that I didn't know everyone. I closed my bedroom door behind me, and placed the bassinet down in the area I'd sectioned off as the nursery. Then, walking over to the window, I sat down in the cushioned seat and tried to calm down.

:::I would have to leave.:::

The thought was not a welcome one. I made a life for myself, here, and I was not willing to give it up and just leave, so close to my due date. Sure, it wasn't the best of lives, my job really sucked, for instance. But everything else was perfect. More than that, it was mine.

Now, it was threatened, and I didn't know what to do. If I left, it would be running away - abandoning the safe haven I worked so hard to make. If I didn't, I would have to face my family. God help me, I would have to face Draco.

The logical part of my mind wondered what they could do. Seriously, they couldn't force me to marry him. If I sat still long enough to actually think, I would have realized that before I left. 

But, they could try to take my child away from me. It would be so easy, with all of their money, to do that. That would leave me with one decision left. I could either go with the baby into Draco's possession, or I could hold onto myself and visit only on weekends. If I was allowed to visit on weekends.

Wistfully, I looked around me, looking, really looking at the room. There was the bed and the dresser that came with the room, the rocker I picked up early on at a yard sale. The changing table, and the crib that I had scrimped and saved to buy. The pile of dirty clothes in the corner was at a level to prompt washing, but everything else was spotless, thanks to Mrs. Fumbles efforts. 

That pile bothered me. It pointed out that I was never at home to wash them. What with work and helping out here, I didn't have much time to take care of my own chores. 

What was I going to do next month, when the baby was born? How could I work, and take care of my child? How could I not work and still feed it?

A bit overwhelmed by it all, I could feel the tears gathering in the back of my eyes. 

:::Was leaving a mistake? Then, wouldn't leaving here be worse? Maybe .. Maybe I should go home.:::

"No. Not yet. I don't know if they found me, after all! They may have just tacked them up randomly. Or, they could have gotten every door, but mine was the last one up."

But, wouldn't that mean that one of her neighbors might have recognized her?

:::No. I don't see them often enough for them to know me on sight.:::

Feeling slightly better, I glanced at the clock. Still an hour or two before supper, and I was starting to feel a bit sleepy, as if the trials of the last hour had finally caught up with me. 

:::A nap couldn't hurt, and it… might… help:::

I lay down on my side, and was out almost before I finished that thought.

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****

Interlude: Through the eyes of Draco Malfoy

Finally, I found her. She lived there, inside this ramshackle rooming house, oblivious to the fact that her life was in danger. I have watched her all month, learning her habits as one might some exotic animal in the wild, and I had made up my mind to grab her today.

There would be no more sneaking around about this… well, not much anyway. Just enough sneakiness to get Ginny. I had already put her landlady under the Nocturnus spell, and she would sleep well until eight o'clock. Her fellow renters were all still at work, and if I'm not mistaken, Ginny herself had just turned the corner, and was approaching the house carrying a large white wicker basket.

Quickly, I pulled the hood up on the invisibility cloak and watched as she ascended the stairs.

There, she had spotted the notice. I don't know why I did that. Maybe it was some left over evilness from my school days, maybe a part of me wanted her to know that we hadn't given up yet. It didn't matter, it was done.

She tore it from the door, her face white as she looked about. Then, opening the door, she slipped inside. Quickly, I apparated into her room, still wearing the cloak. I heard the heavy tread of her footsteps on the stairs, then waited as the door opened and she pushed inside. Soon, she sat on the window seat, and began to cry.

I had to admit that at that point, I felt like shit. I knew damn well that I was invading her life, taking over with the heaviest of hands. But I had no choice if I was going to keep her safe.

Ginny was right about my father, after all. As soon as I admitted to having a serious relationship with her, he was threatening everything he could think of. He started with disowning me, and ended up with slitting her thin, freckled throat. 

I wanted to kill him at that point, but I knew better than to show strong emotion near him. He was a shark, and he went for your weak points. Mine were most definitely Ginny and the baby, leaving me with no choice but to do what I must to protect her. If it included kidnapping her, then so be it.

I waited quietly in the corner, then uttered another, milder form of the nocturnes spell. Soon, she was yawning, and glancing at the clock. Five more minutes, I thought, as she climbed over to her bed. Five more minutes, and she would be sleeping deeply enough for me to grab her.

She was heavier than I remember, which wasn't surprising, considering that she resembled an extremely large pumpkin. Adjusting her weight, I carried her downstairs, past her sleeping landlady, and to the waiting black limo. Harold, my driver, opened the rear passenger door, and waited while I buckled Gin into her seat. Then, with a quick nod of accomplishment, we got into our seats, and started down the street. 

****

End Interlude

Ginny woke up, stretching, feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time. A slight twinge flared in her belly, and she smiled, rubbing the little foot that poked out from her side. Then, she sat up, realizing that she had slept much later than she had intended.

She threw back the covers, and froze. 

:::Covers? I didn't use any…::: 

She let her feet fall to the floor, noticing the slight chill that radiated from under the rug.

:::I have wood floors.:::

Finally, she opened her eyes, only to be met by the extreme dark of night.

:::I couldn't have slept that long!:::

Yet, it seemed that she had. Stumbling to her feet, she moved in the general direction of where her wall should be, and fumbled along the smooth paneling in search of the light switch.

::Ok, that's it! I HAVE PAINTED WALLS! Where the hell am I?:::

"Lumos" The word was muttered almost in her ear, bringing a sparkle of pure white light from a wand tip in front of her. Startled, she jumped, pressing back into something large and firm. Spinning around, she swallowed, hardly daring to believe who stood illuminated by the weak wizards light.

"Dr.. Draco! How?"

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Hehehehehehehe… ok.. How was that? ^_^ I hope no one thought it was rushed, cause trust me.. I'm still just setting the story up! LOL… 

If you liked this story, do a poor, insecure fan fiction author a break, and read some of my other fics! Currently, I'm writing a Rurouni Kenshin fic, centered around Sano and Megumi, (The Trouble with Chickens.. Er..Roosters), as well as a Gundam Wing fic, centered around my all time favorite, Duo and Hilde! (Love is a battlefield). Anyway, both are romantic humor, so feel free to giggle madly throughout the whole thing! ^_^

Caliko


	3. Castles

Compulsion - chapter 4 

By Caliko

There he stood, in front of me, illuminated only by the faint blue light from his wand. I could tell that he was angry, despite the mocking glint that shone from his grey eyes. His tightened mouth gave him away.

"Hello, Virginia." He drawled, his lips twisting into a false smile. "I hope that all is well with you?" Deliberately, he lowered his gaze to my belly, making sure that I knew that he was referring to his child. 

"The baby is fine." I said, then, "How did I get here, Draco?"

"I took you, of course. You couldn't think that I would allow my child to be born into near poverty?" 

He was so smug! Damn him! "Take me back." 

Draco just arched his brow and backed up a few steps. The light in his wand flickered out, then he pointed it to the right. "Incendio." 

The fireplace burst into flame, illuminating the dark paneling and thick rug that graced the room. An aura of what could only be described as 'age' clung to the walls, making one feel insignificant in the face of such antiquity. Behind me, a large bed held court in the center of the room, swathed in the finest linen and silks. I looked twice at the bed, realizing that it was the very one we had shared in Hogwarts. 

"How?" I asked, gesturing to it, "And why?" 

"A gift, from Dumbledore." he said, carelessly waving his hand. "And because I asked him for it, in my naïve belief that it was something you would appreciate, if only for the fond memories."

If my eyes softened, he didn't notice. Instead, he walked over to the fireplace and sat down in one of the two armchairs that rested there. "Ginny…. We need to talk." 

"I don't want.." I start, childishly belligerent, I know, but he had toppled all of my careful plans as if they were a castle made of cards.

I stopped speaking abruptly when I saw the rage in his eyes. 

"It's not about what you want, anymore. Remember this - if something should happen to my child because you are careless, then you will look fondly over the days that you feared my father." 

I could feel a cold chill move down my spine. This was not the Draco I knew in school. He was almost like the prat that tortured Ron and Harry, but more so. Colder in nature than I remembered. He had none of the childish belief that everything was going to go his way, simply because he was Draco Malfoy. It made him harder, more cynical. For the first time, ever… I feared him. 

"I'm not an idiot." I said, avoiding the ice in his gaze. "I was always careful when I went out!"

"Oh? Then how did I find you? How did I get into your rooms? My father could have found you, and I wouldn't have known until your body had been found in a ditch!" The wand snapped in his hand, and he threw it savagely into the fire. 

"Then you finally admit that he's dangerous? Well, at least your eyes are open. But, as long as I stayed away, I would have been safe." 

"Don't be a twit, Virginia. You would have existed. That's reason enough for him." His chin sank to his chest, as if he was frustrated by a child. "But, then, you furthered his rage by daring to become pregnant, and then leaving before he could decide what to do with you." He brought his head up, meeting my gaze. "If there is one thing my father detests more than your family, it's a woman who won't defer to the wisdom of a man."

"Too bad for him. Isn't he lucky he didn't get stuck with me?" I smirked, then sat down in the other chair.

"Be serious, Ginny. He actually told me that he plans to find you, then slit your 'skinny freckled throat'. He doesn't exaggerate, - He means to do it."

"I know, and that's why I should have remained hidden!" 

"Wrong. That's why your going to marry me, and take your place as my wife. He wouldn't dare do anything with everyone's eye on you! It would bring up too many questions that he would just as soon stay buried! No, if you were my wife, he would sit back and bide his time, wait for Voldemort to come to power, and then kill both of us for going against his wishes." He was smiling widely, as if he had thought of something so fantastic, that I should be jumping up and down in sheer joy.

:::Is he crazy?::: I blinked, then opened my mouth. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"

"Actually, it makes me feel a whole lot better. It gives us time to plot our escape. Besides, I seriously doubt that Lord Voldemort will come to power, anyway."

"One problem, Draco." I remind him, "I don't plan on marrying you."

"Of course you will, Virginia. It's only a matter of time until you agree."

"You are impossible!"

"No. I'm only in charge." He smirked, standing up. "I'll see you later, Ginny. I have an appointment with the minister this afternoon."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I won't do it!"

"No? Then, you will just have to stay here, in this room, until you do. I can't risk my father finding you, after all."

"I hate you." I said it with such venom, I surprised even myself. Draco, however, only smirked wider. 

"Maybe so." He replied, "But, you're still stuck with me."

He moved to the door, and walked out, closing it behind him. I heard him turn the key in the lock, and cursed. Without my wand, I couldn't even alohomora it open.

:::I hate this!::: I fumed, feeling helpless. :::There has to be another way out!:::

I don't know why I thought this, only that it made me feel better. It gave me something to do, other than sit back and wait for him to come for me. So, with my mind made, I began rapping on the walls and floor, hoping to find anything that sounded hollow.

Of course.. That's when I found out that the paneling covered up thick stone walls. The rat bastard had me in a bloody castle!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He came back later that night, carrying a tray full of food to tempt the finickiest of appetites. I almost turned my back on the lot, but changed my mind when my palm fell to my burgeoning belly. Unfortunately for my pride, I kept forgetting that I had another reason to stay healthy.

"Have you thought it over yet, Virginia?"

"Why do you have to be such an insufferable asshole?" I growl, reaching for the plate of scampi.

"It's a talent of mine."

My eyes shot to his, unsure that he was actually cracking a joke. Sure enough, he was smiling when he said it. 

"Why are you laughing? What are you up to?"

"Do I need a reason? Can't I be happy without making you suspicious?" He pushed his shoes off of his feet, then sat on the bed next to me with his own plate of food.

"I have a reason to be suspicious. You've kidnapped me." I remind him, inching away from the heat of his leg.

"If you must know, for the first time since you ran away, I've had the chance to relax. Alright? I'm not run ragged and in a snit for following a false lead."

"Did I give you a hard time?" I infused my words with saccharin sweetness. "Good."

That's when he started laughing. Despite myself, I giggled a bit, as well. There was something about him that will always catch me off guard.

"I've told you father where you are."

I swallowed wrong, nearly lodging a piece of shrimp in my throat. "Excuse me, I didn't catch that."

His lips twisted into a weird smile. "I told your father that I had you. He agreed that it might be better if I didn't tell Father that you are here. It seems that your father has opened his eyes a bit more to my father's evil. No longer just an irritating git, my father now rivals Satan in his eyes.

Are you done with that?" Draco motioned to my now empty plate.

"Er.. Yes." I was a bit bewildered by my father agreeing to Draco kidnapping me. "You actually told him that you kidnapped me?" I asked, as he took the plate and walked over to the door. 

"Do I look insane to you?" He left the plates outside the room, then closed and locked the door again. 

:::Ok, that answered that question.::: "Yes." I said, just to piss him off. Instead, that twisted smile came back to his lips as he placed the key high on the doorframe, where I couldn't reach it easily. :::Damn, why am I so short?:::

"Well, I'm not." Draco reached into his pocket as he sauntered back over to the bed. "Care to play a bit of cards, before we go to bed?"

"Bed? You don't mean to tell me that you're sleeping with me, are you?" 

"Gin, this castle is over six hundred years old, and I just moved in last month. This is the only bedroom livable - the rest are still being emptied so I can get a work crew into them."

"Alright, I can believe that. Which leaves me with two more questions. One - where are we? And two - Why can't you sleep on the floor?"

He ignored both, blast it. Instead, he took out the cards and began to shuffle rather clumsily. "How about a game of poker? My butler taught me last week."

:::What is he up to?::: "No thanks."

"C'mon, Gin. What harm can it do? Just one little game. I want to get better before the next game - If I win, I don't have to give him a paid vacation."

"Oh, poor Draco… so tightfisted he can't afford to pay his butler unless he actually works."

"Yeah.. I'm amused." He drawled. "Listen. I'll make you a deal. If I win, I get to sleep in the bed. If I lose, I'll grab a quilt and sleep in the chair."

:::This could be too good to pass up. Still - ::: 

"If I win, you sleep in the chair, and you let me have my freedom."

"I'll let you out of the room, but you have to hide if Father is visiting."

"Deal."

****

Two Hours Later:

:::Rat Bastard is a card shark.::: I no longer believed that he had any intention of losing, nor giving his butler a paid vacation. :::If he even has a butler.:::

Draco snorted in his sleep, and I elbowed him in the side. The next thing I knew, he had his arm thrown over my waist, and was rubbing my belly with his palm.

Slowly, I lifted his hand off of my body, and inched closer to the edge of the bed. He immediately closed the distance. It was almost as if, even subconsciously, he was afraid that I would disappear.

:::Great. How does one escape a kidnapper who knows you too well?::: 

I growled, then shivered as he kissed the back of my neck. "Stop that!" I hissed. 

He only murmured, then did it again. 

Viciously, I once again elbow him, only to have it blocked.

"If you don't go to sleep," Draco murmured, "I'm going to assume that you want to play."

I rolled over, wondering if he had been awake the entire time. Mutinously, I met his gray orbs, and waited for him to move over to his side of the bed. 

Instead, he kissed me.

:::God help me, I forgot how it felt!:::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC 

  


  



	4. Family Reunion

Draco's lips were devouring me, stealing the air from my lungs and making me feel weak against him. He took away all of my reasoning, all of my will to be anywhere but there, leaving me docile and wanting his kiss. 

He never hurried, but took his time, as if he were sampling a rich dessert and wanted to make it last. He focused all of his attentions on me. From the moment our lips met, to the moment they parted, he savored the kiss, determined to draw out every single shade of the moment. 

Which is why I had to get the strength to push him away. I knew that on some level he cared for me, but I didn't believe that it was love. I needed love. I deserved love. Having known complete freedom, I couldn't give it up for anything less. 

The baby kicked, breaking the moment just before I would have surrendered. I breathed deep, shuddering breaths, knowing that my need lay in my eyes for him to read, but unable to do anything to veil the hunger. He closed his eyes, but I had already seen his passion reflect mine. It was like looking in a mirror, one that reflected back in time, back to our secret room in Hogwarts, where we allowed ourselves such dangerous play. 

"I can't do this again." I swore, shuddering. "I won't do this again." 

"Speak for yourself." Draco said, already moving against me again. "I almost forgot what you tasted like, Gin."

"Stop." I pressed my hand against his chest, a flimsy barrier at best. His words made me think of how HE tasted, how his body felt against mine, the feelings that ruled my inner self when we touched. I knew, that if we kissed again, I would be lost once more. No matter how angry he made me, I still wanted him. 

"Do you really want me to?" Draco asked, almost reading my mind. His mouth was quirked in a strange smile, pure mischief in his eyes. Here was the Draco that only I had seen before, the one I fell in love with. 

"I can't lie to you. You know I don't want you to stop, but it won't change anything. I still won't marry you."

The play left his eyes, replaced for a moment with hurt . Then, that too was gone. His face was cool, expressionless if you didn't know what to look for. To me, it radiated slyness, warning me that he hadn't given up yet.

"Then don't lie." Draco crooned, taking my hand from his chest. Slowly, he moved his arm, pushing my hand to the small of my back, bending me closer into his body. 

"What are you up to?" I didn't trust him when he was in this mood. His smirk reminded me of the time he talked me into giving up the last Bavarian donut, making me think that it was my idea, at that!

"I have an idea, Love." He released my hand and began to rub the small of my back. 

I nearly passed out in delight, as, unerringly, his palm found the exact spot that had twinged, continuously it seemed, for the last two months. He worked his magic, and I had to fight to keep my sanity, knowing that, like a dog that was getting it's belly scratched, I would be prone to agree to anything he said. 

"Stop that." I ordered, cross, knowing that he was trying to sucker me.

"I'm not doing anything wrong, Gin." He smiled. "You like your back rubbed, don't you?"

"It annoys me when I can't think straight, Draco." 

He realized that his ministrations were having the opposite effect than he planned. Rather than sedating me, he was actually pushing my guard up. 

Grinning a 'you can't blame a guy for trying' grin, he released me and scooted over to his own side of the bed, placing his hands on the quilt in plain site. 

I rolled my eyes, the sat up. "What is your idea, Malfoy?"

"Just this. You have to admit that it IS my child, correct?"

I nodded, still wary.

"Then, you also have to admit that I have certain rights, as the father."

Again, I nodded, not sure where he was going. I kept my mind sharp, however, knowing better than to trust his silver tongue.

"I have a proposition for you, Love." He smiled wide, and I narrowed my eyes. 

:::Here it comes.:::

"You stay here, allow me the chance to woo you, so to speak. I won't push you to marry me, but in return, you actually consider it. Don't close your mind off the idea. It would be a trial run, so to speak. No actual commitment, other than the promise to stay here until we can decide what to do about my father."

:::Interesting. It's not as bad as I thought.:::

"Where would I sleep?" 

"Here, with me." He held his hand up, silencing me for a brief moment. "Gin, the entire plan is to keep you and the baby safe. The only way to do that is if I'm with you at all times. No offense, but your family is too honorable to use the forbidden curses if needed. On the other hand, I would happily murder anyone that tried to hurt you two, even if it was my own father."

His words rang true. He was willing to use any tool in his means to get what he wanted, including the truth. Draco really would kill his own father to keep me safe. The knowledge sent shivers down my spine, frightening me at the same time sheer relief burst in my chest. He would keep me safe.

"And what about those times where you can't be with me?" I asked, knowing that it was inevitable that at some point, I would be alone.

"Then your place in society will protect you."

:::What does he mean?::: I furrowed my brow, not understanding. 

Seeing my confusion, he went on. "We will be the only two people who will know that you haven't yet agreed to marry me. We'll throw a large party, announcing our engagement, and the forthcoming birth of our child. All of the Wizards society will recognize you as my lover and my fiancé', and that fact will keep you safe. 

"My father can't risk bringing attention to himself, you see. If you disappeared, I would let it be known that my father had threatened you, and your brother and Potter would make an extremely public investigation into my father's affairs. Dark wizards, you see, work best in the dark, and they can't do that if aurors are throwing light on their activities."

It was plausible. It was even thought out a bit, but still, I wasn't sure.

"And you think that this is the only way?"

"Yes, Gin, I do." He finally met my eye, and I had to believe him. His gray orbs held no sign of cunning, and reflected only true belief back at me. Whatever the case, Draco sincerely believed that this was our only choice.

"And what about kissing and hugging?" I arched my brow, wondering what he would say about his wandering lips.

"I must be allowed to woo." He said it straight-faced, that old fashioned, ridicules word! The mischief was once again in his eyes, and he rolled back over, causing the bed to dip in the middle so that I rolled against him. "After all, I want you to experience how it nice it would be, being Mrs. Draco Malfoy."

"So your allowed to kiss me? That doesn't seem quite fair, Malfoy."

"You can kiss me too." He teased, holding my chin in his hand when I would have broke eye-contact.

"That's not what I meant." 

"Well, it's only fair, that if I kiss you, you should be able to kiss me! I promise, Love, I won't run away from you."

Against my will, I could feel my mouth twitching. Any minute, I would break down and laugh, ruining any chance I had to make demands. He knew it, too. The triumphant gleam in his eyes told me all that I needed to know. Draco Malfoy held all of the cards.

"Alright." I finally allowed, giving in. "But, you can't use sex appeal to get your way."

"Would I do that?"

"Yes."

He shrugged, smirking. Satisfied, I nodded my consent.

"Alright. I'll stay here, and allow you to try to convince me to marry you. Happy?"

"Ecstatic. I'll send out invitations to our engagement party tomorrow." 

He seemed to forget something, as lay back on the mattress. I allowed him to cuddle close to my back and pull the covers over us both, then reminded him. "I thought that the castle was a wreck, and needed to be fixed. How could we hold a large party?"

His body tensed against mine, and I knew that I had him. He coughed, then swallowed before he spoke. "I thought that we could move into my manor tomorrow. I only brought you here because there would be less witnesses. I .. Um.. Actually live in a fairly new mansion about a mile away from this castle."

I didn't smile, preferring to let him believe that I was outraged. Draco wasn't the only one who could manipulate people into getting what he wanted.

"We WILL discuss this in the morning, Malfoy." I said firmly, my tone warning that he was in trouble. "Since you did lie and tell me that there was no other place for you to sleep."

"Actually, Love, I didn't lie. I simply told you that this was the only habitable room in the castle, and that it was where I slept when I stayed here. I just didn't tell you that tonight was the first night I slept here."

"You're still in trouble."

He was silent, holding his breath for a minute. Then, I could feel him slump against my back. "Yes, dear." Draco sighed, his warm breath dancing over my neck. "Good night."

"Good night, Draco." I smirked, feeling that I had somehow won. 

He had convinced me to stay with him. He had even convinced me to announce our engagement, false though it was at this time. But… I had the last word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can't believe that you agreed to marry the prat." Ron growled, watching as Draco came into the room. He had arrived early that day, demanding that Draco release me from the imperius curse that I must be under.

Draco just snorted, and led him to the sitting room, still smarting from the concessions I had wormed out of him already. It definitely paid to be eight months pregnant when dealing with a man. They were too nervous to really fight with you, afraid that you might go into premature labor with the first sign of excessive emotion.

"Your brother is here." He growled when he saw me. "As bad-tempered as ever, I might add." 

Of course, I had already heard Ron's voice, and I was standing up, my book forgotten on the floor.

"Ron!" I laughed, rushing over to him. "God, I missed you!" 

I hugged his waist, comforted by his solid warmth. I had missed all of my family, of course, but I missed Ron the most.

"Where have you been?" He demanded, his arms returning my hug. Then, he stood back, eyeing my encumbered frame. "You're huge."

I could hear Draco groaning behind me, remembering how I had broken down and bawled when he said the same thing. But, I ignored him. I was supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the world to Draco. After all, I was pregnant with his child! But Ron? I expected him to be rude. After all, we were talking about the man who, when I was thirteen, said I would never marry since my rather skinny body resembled a broomstick.

Now, I just laughed at Ron's statement, knowing that he didn't mean anything by it. He was simply being my brother, after all.

"Not for long!" I smiled, leading him to the couch. "I feel like I'm going to burst any day now!"

Draco was practically choking behind me, unable to understand how Ron got away with a remark that would have put him in the kennels.

"Well, don't do it here." Ron grimaced. "I don't want to witness my niece or nephew coming into the world, thank you very much. When you go into labor, I want to be in the waiting room of the hospital or the nearest bar getting drunk."

"I'll see what I can do." I shook my head, knowing that Ron will never change. "How are Mum and Dad?"

"Much better, now that they know you are safe. That wasn't very nice, Gin, taking off like that! They were frantic!"

"I didn't see that I had any choice."

"Well, considering that you ended up here, with Malfoy, after all, I don't know why you bothered to run!"

"Weasley, that's between myself and Virginia. If you don't mind?"

"I do mind! I still think that she's under some kind of imperius curse!"

"Idiot." Draco spat. "She wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with you, if she were! The imperius curse makes you into a mindless zombie, unable to even think clearly enough to fight the person who is controlling you!"

"And how would you know so much about it?"

"Unlike you, I did my homework!" 

"ENOUGH!" I finally shouted, not wanting to hear any more. "Draco, I can speak for myself! And Ron, I am NOT being controlled by anyone other than myself! Now, I would like to have a nice, stress free visit, but if you two are unwilling to get along, then I will have to ask you to leave, Ronald."

Ron clammed up, his mouth hanging wide with disbelief. I could hear Draco snickering behind me, so I sent my elbow sharply into his gut, my eyes warning Ron when it looked as if he might start laughing at Draco.

"I really don't care if you two never grow to like each other. But for my sake, I would appreciate it if you were civil."

They eyed each other warily, before finally settling down. I signaled for tea, which appeared on the table in front of us, and we talked, keeping our discussion to family members and our upcoming engagement ball. Twenty minutes had passed when an owl came by with a message for Draco.

He read the note and stood up, relief evident on his face as he seized his opportunity to be free of the tension filled room.

"That was from the architect. It seems that he found an interesting room filled with medieval artifacts when he was renovating the dungeon. If you don't mind, I need to be there before things start disappearing with the help."

Then, remembering his father, he grimaced, turning towards Ron. "Will you stay here until I get back? I don't trust my father, and this might be a trap." His face tight as if the question was killing him. 

Ron understood, nodding, "I trust your father less than I trust you." He said, "I was even considering moving in here, to protect her from you if I needed to."

"Don't push it, Weasley. I'll be back in an hour, or so." 

Without a thank you, he was gone, leaving me and Ron alone.

"Well, then." I blinked, bemused. "I'm not sure that I would ever see the day he asked you for a favor."

"He didn't do it for himself." Ron said, cutting me off. "He did it for you. I still hate him, but at least I know he has your best interests at heart. After all, as you said, he actually asked me for a favor."

I nodded, then forced a smile on my lips. Picking up my wand, I pointed it upstairs, and called out, "Accio, Notebook!" 

As it floated down the stairs, I turned to Ron. "While we wait, you can tell me who from our family I should invite to my engagement party."

He blinked, then nodded, knowing that I was trying to pass the time until Draco came back. It was just too odd that something like this would happen now, when I just surfaced. The castle was old, after all, and had been in the Malfoy family since it was first built. There should have been some reference somewhere to the hidden chamber's existence. After all, even the Chamber of Secrets had it's own legend of mystery, even if no one had believed in it until I had gotten trapped inside. 

"Well, Mum and Dad, of course, and the rest of us kids. Harry and Hermione, Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall would probably like to be invited, though I do not know if they would come. Oh, and I suppose that Snape should be invited, since he was head of Draco's house."

From there, we worked quietly, adding some names, then taking others away. One hour passed, then two. Eventually, we lay the notebook down and went into dinner. We would reach for our glasses, or our forks, our eyes darting nervously to the grandfather clock against the wall. Neither of us said a word, but all the same worried that something might have happened. We couldn't understand what was so important that Draco wouldn't send word, and why was he taking so long to return.

Finally, I led Ron to the room across the hall from mine, and bid him goodnight. Then, entering my own room, I climbed into bed and began to read, hoping that soon, Draco would come home.

Another hour passed, and then a loud 'Pop' sounded in the room. Looking up, I gasped as Fred and George appeared in the room, each holding up a side of Draco. 

I pushed the covers off and stood up, watching as they lay my bleeding lover in the bed.

"What happened?" I asked, afraid to know at the same time.

"Ron contacted us through the Floo network, asked us to go looking for the bounder." George said, his expression telling me more than he wanted me to know. "He didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. Thought that Malfoy might have lost track of time or something, and that he needed us to remind him that you were here, worrying. Well, we agreed, of course. Can't accuse us of losing a chance to rough up a Malfoy. Unfortunately, we found him like this in the dungeon, surrounded by a bunch of rusty armor and some decaying casks of god knows what."

"Yeah." Fred growled. "We didn't even get the chance to hit him at all."

"Someone beat him? Why?"

By this time, Ron had come in, having heard the twins' voices.

"That is what we're going to find out, Gin. You can count on it." He promised, his face harsh. None of them liked Draco, but all were willing to work to find out what was going on for my sake. Touched, I could feel tears welling up in the back of my mind, and impatiently, I brushed them away. Fred threw his arm over my shoulder, hugging me. 

"Don't worry, Ginny. You're not alone anymore."

For the first time in a long time, I relaxed. Yes, Draco had been beaten badly, and yes, I had an evil dark wizard after me, but my brothers were here, willing to help. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
TBC


	5. Who IS this?

I don't own Harry Potter. The characters and some of the places are owned by J.K.Rowling and Warner Bros. I don't claim ownership, nor do I make any money from this fic. Please don't sue.. I just paid my college tuition, and I still have to buy my books.

****

Compulsion - Chapter Six  
By Caliko

I winced each time he moaned, yet still, I went on cleaning the crusted blood from his face. I had to see just how badly he was beaten, and I didn't trust any of my brothers to do it gently. So, I continued on, doing it myself.

Slowly, I went, moving the washcloth over his chin, and then down his neck. Carefully, I unbuttoned the last button remaining on his shredded shirt, then washed the mud off of the bruises on his chest. 

His eyes tightened, and he groaned in his sleep, his head thrashing slightly on the pillow as his hands rose in defense. Draco was fighting someone in his sleeping mind. 

For the first time, I noticed that his right hand was fisted, clenching something hidden in it's bony depths. A telltale cord dangled slightly out of his closed fingers, and I found my hand moving to take it away.

"NO!" He shouted, his hand tightening. "Get away from me!"

I jumped back, suddenly nervous at the now silent room. Ron and the twins gaped, then shuffled closer, wondering what I had done. I shrugged, nodding at the unconscious man, indicating that I had done nothing to him, and that Draco was still sound asleep.

"What was that about?" Fred asked, his forehead wrinkled.

"I dunno." George replied, "I haven't been watching, either. Ron?"

"Nothing that I could tell. Ginny, what happened?"

"I was trying to open his hand." I admitted. "Look, see? There's a piece of string in his hand. I guess I wondered if it may have belonged to whoever attacked him."

Ron's eyes opened wide, surprised that none of them had noticed it before. Bending over the bed, he motioned Ginny to move back, and tried to pry his fingers open himself. A few minutes later, he scowled, giving up.

"I never knew you cared, Weasley." Draco drawled, his voice tired, but alert.

Ron dropped his hand as if it were scalding his, then jumped back. "It's not what you think."

"I'm sure. Gin?"

I came forward, and sat next to him. "We were trying to see what you held in your hand. That's all."

Draco looked surprised. "My hand?" Puzzled, he looked down and opened his clenched fist, revealing a milky white quartz tied with a ratty string. His gray eyes widened in recognition. "I remember now…"

"What is it?" It couldn't be called pretty. The stone was nice enough, clear at the pointed top and clouded at the flat base, but it held an aura that was disturbing, ugly in color when you tried to see it. The stone actually bothered me to look at it, as nothing else had in my entire life. Even the thought of Voldemort attacking did not frighten me so much as this small, white rock.

"I don't know." He admitted, frowning. "Wells had just left, when I saw it on the ground in the corner. It seemed to… I don't know. Sparkle at me, I guess." Draco looked up, clearly not thinking much about it. "I picked it up, and when I stood, I heard footsteps."

"Who was it?" George interjected, "'cause there wasn't anybody there when we got there."

Draco shook his head. "That's the thing. I turned around, and there wasn't anyone behind me. I called out, asking, of course. I can't have strangers roaming the castle. They might be hurt, and then I would probably end up sued. Still, no one answered me.

I looked around a bit, checked the next chamber, then the outer stairway. But I was alone."

"Then who attacked you?" I finally spoke, puzzled. "When Fred and George brought you here, you were unconscious and still bleeding. Someone had to have been there!"

"I'm getting to that. I had just came back to the first room, when I realized that it may have been someone upstairs in the watchtower. I had just placed my foot on the first step, when I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder." 

By now, we were spellbound, hanging on to every word he said. Draco knew it, of course. I'm sure that some imp inside of him grinned at having his mortal enemies hanging onto his story, yet he showed no sign of amusement. Instead, he continued on, his voice becoming hoarse as he began to relive that moment. 

"I spun around, intending to rip into the intruder, when I stopped. I was frozen, not with fear, but confusion. You see, when I turned around, I saw a very familiar face staring back at me." He met our eyes, one by one, making sure that we all knew that he was serious before he continued on.

"Was it your father?" I finally asked, not doubting for a minute that Lucius Malfoy was capable of giving his own son such a beating.

"No." Draco replied, his eyes coming back to mine. "When I turned around, I came face to face - with myself."

"What? Are you sure that you didn't hit your head when you fell? Maybe it was someone who just looked like you!"

"No, George, right? Sorry. No Fred. I know my own face, and it was identical, right down to the scar I have on my jaw from when I first learned how to shave. It was me, alright."

"Are you sure? Was he exactly like you? It could have been someone who took a polyjuice potion."

"Maybe. For all we know, it could have been someone hired by my father to get close enough to kill you, Ginny."

"Who knows that she's here?" Ron asked.

"I haven't told anybody. But I do have servants. I have no doubt that at least one is being paid extra by my father."

"Draco, what about the crystal? It doesn't feel right."

He sighed, then hesitated, thinking, I suppose, on what to tell me. Then, he shrugged. "It's an old castle that has been in my family for centuries. For all I know, it may have belonged to one of my ancestors that practiced the dark arts."

"Yet, it called to you." Ron reminded him.

"It must react to my family's blood. All I know, is I've never seen it before today." He leaned over and placed it on the endtable to examine later. "Look, It's late, and I'm sure that we're all tired." 

"Is this a hint to get out?" George asked dryly.

"I wouldn't say that, precisely." Draco replied.

"Not precisely, but yes, I suppose. Alright, boys, our work is done for now." George herded them out, "But, Malfoy -"

"Hmm?" Draco asked, smirking.

"We'll see you in the morning." They snickered, as they left, closing the door with exaggerated firmness as the smirk fell off of Draco's lips.

"I truly hate your brothers." He told me, eyes narrowed as the footsteps retreated down the hall. 

I simply shrugged and got back into bed, putting distance between the crystal and myself. I didn't say anything else to him, still not accepting his excuses. That crystal was evil, and he should have thrown it away.

"Goodnight, Draco." 

No answer. I rolled over, and then grinned just a bit. 

:::Poor Malfoy.::: I thought, seeing that he was already asleep. :::Must be exhausting, getting the stuffing beat out of you.:::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I woke up the next morning to sunshine. Draco was already gone, leaving nothing behind in the bed other than the scent of his body, and the shape of his head on the pillow. Getting out of bed, I remembered the events of last night, and searched the end table for the crystal. 

It was nowhere in sight, so I was left assuming that he had taken it with him. Fine. As long as it was far away from me, I could be happy. 

Still - I didn't trust that rock. There was something about it that made my skin crawl. Twice that night, Draco had woken up and reached for it, holding it in his hand as he stared into its milky depths. I knew, because I could feel it get closer to me, and I woke up. I had watched through my slitted eyes, pretending to still sleep as he held it up to the moonlight, mesmerized as the haunting light filtered through the crystal.

He would place it down, then go to sleep, only to repeat his actions a scant hour later. Draco seemed to be under some spell, and I didn't know how to convince him of it. No, I really, really didn't trust that rock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The boys were at the breakfast table discussing the night's events. None of them had sensed the evil that clung to the crystal, and each held it as they passed it around, wondering where it had come from, and who belonged to it. Finally, upon seeing me, Fred handed it back to Draco and wished me good morning.

"I wish you would put that thing away, Draco. I don't like it. It makes my skin crawl." I said, regretting the words as soon as they were out of my mouth.

"Good morning to you, too, Luv." He replied dryly. "Sleep well?"

I didn't answer him. Instead, I sat down at the foot of the table and reached for the scrambled eggs that the footman was handing me. 

"Ginny? Are you all right? You look as if you hardly slept."

"I didn't." I admitted. "That crystal woke me up. I think that you should put it back."

"No. If it's dangerous, I don't want to leave it lying around for anyone to take. Look, if it makes you feel better, I'll lock it up in the safe."

"Would you?"

"Since you asked, yes. This IS your home, Virginia. I want you to feel comfortable."

I was about to reply when there was a sudden commotion at the door.

"Sir! You can't go in there!" I could hear the butler shout, but obviously, the intruder ignored him. 

The door opened, revealing Lucius Malfoy in all of his haughty arrogance.

"Father." Draco stood, his face pleasantly blank. "What brings you here, this morning."

The elder Malfoy glanced around the room, noting my brothers' presence, before his eyes landed on me. His eyes widened just a bit, taking in my rather … blooming body, then came to rest on his son's bruised face. 

"So." He spoke, his voice almost lacking emotion. "I see that you have found the whore."

All three Weasley's stood up, outraged, calling out threats of dismemberment. Draco, however, stood up calmly, and walked over to my chair.

"I do not see a whore, Father." His voice sneered out the title that was supposed to indicate respect, giving the word a whole new meaning. "I see a beautiful young woman who is having my child, and who, I might add, has finally consented to be my wife. Now, apologize, or get out."

A strange black glow seemed to surround his body, swirling in nearly tangible power at our feet, revealing the anger that his training hid. Draco was making a point, warning his father that any further insults could result in his death. 

I tried to pull away, sensing, somehow, that it was the crystal acting through my lover, giving him power that shouldn't exist in a mere mortal, but his hand clamped down on my elbow, keeping me close. 

The spirit wind picked up, continuing to swirl at our feet. With every moment that Lucius stayed silent, the power built. It began to climb, licking at my fingertips and running up my back to cradle my waist. 

It seemed to caress the child under my skin, and I suddenly knew, with no doubt, that it was a boy. The power rolled over my body, caressing my body in a possessive wind, claiming me for it's own. I knew that this power was Draco - the crystal created it, but his will directed it around the room. 

Suddenly, it shot forward, slamming into his father's chest, knocking him down to the floor.

"I'm waiting, Father." He said, his voice cold. 

Mr. Malfoy's expression matched my own. For some reason, even though he was acting to protect me, I feared Draco. So did his father. His face was tight, paler than normal when he raised his icy blue eyes to his son.

"I'm sorry." He said, and then fell silent.

"Not to me, Father. It was Virginia who you insulted."

"Draco.." I lay my hand on his shoulder, "It's alright."

"No, Luv. He insulted you. I can't have that, you see."

"I'm sorry, Virginia." Malfoy said, his voice tight. "I should have kept my feelings to myself."

"Now, get out. I remember telling you that I didn't want you here, Father. This is my home, not yours, and I no longer have to live under your domineering rule."

"You don't want to do this, boy." Lucius warned, not liking how the tables have turned. 

"Oh? And what will you do? Send Voldemort after me?" Draco scorned. "Go ahead. I can take him."

With that, he held his hand up, palm forward, sending Lucius out the way he came. The wind picked up, pushing his father back out of the breakfast room and across the foyer to the large entryway. The door swung open, and wizard was flung outside, the doors slamming closed in the aftermath. 

I swallowed, then looked up into Draco's face, shivering. The spirit wind was gone, but something was wrong. It took me but a moment to realize what. 

It was his eyes. They had changed completely, making him seem like a different person. Instead of his normal soft gray, they were glowing an eerie blue. Together, with his strange new powers and confident dominance, it was like I was standing next to a complete stranger.

"Draco?" I touched his sleeve, motioning for Ron and the twins to stay back. "Are you alright?"

He looked down at me, his mouth set in a chilly smile. This couldn't be my Draco.

"Of course, Virginia. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked, knowing that I suspected, but not caring. Once again, I could feel the slight echo of that ill wind, remembering how I felt that it had claimed me. For good or ill, I couldn't simply leave. He wouldn't allow it. 

"You just seem different." I said, not knowing what else to say.

"Of course I am. I have thrown off my father's shackles. You might say, that I've been reborn."

:::What did he mean? Who was this? If not Draco, then who? Some family shade that has taken possession of his body? How could I get my lover back?:::

I had no answers, only questions. Nodding, I pretended to accept this, then sat down to continue eating. One at a time, my brothers followed suit, and I could almost see the wheels churning in his mind. Fred made as if to open his mouth, but I shook my head, signaling to stay quiet.

"Do you have any plans today?"

"Today?" the Imposter mused. "As a matter of fact, I plan on looking up some old friends that I haven't seen in quite a while. Care to come?"

"No. That's alright. Ron and I are going to finish going over the guest list. If you want, I'll show it to you tonight, when you get home."

"No, it's alright. Invite anyone you wish. After all, I trust you not to invite the wrong people."

Ron was looking at me as if I were insane, but I ignored him. I needed to talk to all three of my brothers without Draco around, and the only way I could do that, was if I acted like nothing was wrong.

"Well, then, I'm off. I'll see you tonight, around dinner time. Ron, Fred, George. I'll see you three at our ball."

The boys nodded, pretending, like me, that all was normal. Then, as soon as Draco had left the manor, they clambered over to me, all three talking at once.

"Gin! You have to get out of here!" Ron demanded, "He's snapped!"

"Did you see that weird power?" George asked, in awe. "I didn't know he could do that!"

"What about his eyes? They CHANGED! How did that happen?"

"Quiet!" I finally shouted, waiting for silence. "I don't know who that was, but it wasn't my Draco."

"What? Of course it was Malfoy! I told you a long time ago that he was evil!"

"No, Ron. I'm sure that it was his body, but It wasn't him in control. There was something, someone else looking back at me through his eyes. I think.. I think that we have to get help. We can't handle this one on our own."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N - Draco is possessed? Or, was that someone else entirely? A polyjuice potion is still possible, of course, or maybe something else… lol.. After all, we don't even know how that crystal fits into this mess! Oh well! Until next time!

~Caliko~


	6. No Risk Is Too Great

DaZlinDZ - Thanks for pointing out that a person under the imperius curse WOULD be able to think straight (chapter 5). All I can say, is that I needed Draco-baby to be his normal 'uppity know it all and never admit to a Weasley that he doesn't know what he's talking about' self. It didn't matter WHAT was said, only that I needed them to argue at that point, and it worked. ^_^   
In other words - I took creative license.

NiMiBabe - Way back in Chapter 5, you were my 100th reviewer. THANKS! I would have said it last chapter, but I only now counted it. I promise, I'll be more 'on the ball' for now on, when it comes to my reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. That honor belongs to J.K.Rowling. I make no money from this fic.

****

Compulsion: Chapter 7  
By Caliko

He rose his head, moaning, desperately trying to remember how he had turned up alone in the middle of nowhere. Tall, swampy grass lay to one side, pristine sand to the other, neither giving hint to how he had arrived, nor the answer to how he would leave.

There were no bags or camping equipment, so that wasn't it. Also, his pockets were devoid of wand or floo powder - not even a muggle cell phone. He couldn't apparate without his wand, and even if he had the powder, there was no connected fireplace anywhere nearby.

The man sat up, wincing as pain shot down his back and across his shoulders. He lifted his hand to his face, feeling dried, crusted blood under his fingertips. His eye was tender and swollen, signaling a black eye, and pain shot through his lower lip, telling it's own tale.

Little by little, he made it to his feet, trying to see if there were a path to walk back to civilization. It was then that it hit him. 

He had no idea where home was. More to the point, he had no idea who HE was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny waited anxiously for Ron to come back, praying that the manor, in the meantime, would remain Draco-free. The last thing any of them needed was for the imposter to interfere in her plan and forbid entry to their old headmaster.

Hopefully, Dumbledore would have an idea of what was going on. The Professor knew many of the secrets hiding in his students genealogy, after all. He just might remember someone attached to the Malfoy's who had owned such a crystal as the one Draco now held. If not, well.. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

A knock sounded on the door just before it opened. Simon came into the room, followed by her guests.

"Miss, your brother has returned with Professor Dumbledore." The butler announced, before bowing and leaving the room.

"Thank you, Simon." Ginny called after him, then turned to the Professor. "Please, Sir. Make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you, Miss Weasley. I must say, that you look beautiful. When is the boy due?"

She blinked, nonplussed at having her suspicions confirmed. The man really DID know everything! 

"Three more weeks, Professor. Thank you." She poured a cup of tea, then handed it to him. "Did Ron explain the situation?"

"Yes, indeed he did." He replied, taking the cup and then adding four cubes of sugar. "I like it sweet." He explained, then, "I must say that I never expected that stone to turn up again. It was lost after Luther Malfoy killed himself in battle."

"Draco had a relative that committed suicide?" Ron gaped.

"No, dear boy. You misunderstand. Luthor didn't commit suicide - he killed himself."

"I'm getting confused." Ginny closed her eyes tight to fight off a sudden migraine. "How can a person kill himself, but not commit suicide?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Weasley. I had assumed that you knew the nature of the crystal. You see, it divides good from evil, making two from one. Luthor the Whole had been toying with a spell that would help judge prisoners more accurately, before sentencing them arbitrarily to Azkaban. It was both a success and a failure at the same time." He paused as the twins strolled into the room and sat down.

"Sorry we're late. Mum was ripping into us for not getting you out of here." Fred told Ginny.

"Go on, Professor." She warned them against interrupting again with a look, then shifted her attention back to the aging headmaster.

"Yes, of course. As I was saying, it was both a success and a failure" Dumbledore sipped from his cup, then continued. "He had experimented on himself, first. Luthor had invited a group of us to watch, and intervene if need be. No one knew quite what to expect, since it had never been done before. We certainly didn't expect him to separate physically. The goal had been to create two phantasms, one light, one dark, then judge which was stronger. 

He began by picking up his athane, then slicing his palm. He said that the blood powered the spell, making it work even if the subject was unwilling. Then, he placed the crystal over the cut, and concentrated. A few moments of nothing, and then, a strange greenish yellow light surrounded Malfoy, followed by a blinding white flash. When we could open our eyes once more, two Luthor Malfoy's stood where only one had before. The stone had given birth to his identical twin."

"So, your saying that the same thing has happened to Draco?" Ginny was shocked.

"Yes, I believe so. I see no other explanation for the changes you sense in Mr. Malfoy."

"What about that weird power that he used against his father?" Ron asked.

"A side effect to the spell. Luthor had poured a great amount of raw magic into that crystal. If a person already divided handles it, the power would have no where else to go, and could be directed for lack of a better outlet. It would make a fantastic weapon, which is why Luthor the Bad tried to seize control, and Luthor the Good had been forced to kill his twin."

"So, what do we do now? If that is the bad Draco, where is his twin? And, how do we get the stone away from the Draco the Bad?"

"I don't know, Miss Weasley. Luthor the Good had waited for his evil side to use the crystal against someone else, then struck before the power could be redirected at him. He always regretted sacrificing the wizard who volunteered, but could see no other way of doing it. Winslow Fletcher had agreed to do it, proclaiming that it was better to sacrifice one for the whole than the whole for one. In the end, it had been a success, but at such a great cost. Fletcher had died slowly, his body fighting for breath as the power crushed him, and the stone itself was thought to have been destroyed in the magical backlash."

Dumbledore bowed his head in memory, then went on. "I'm afraid that you might have to repeat history, My Dear."

"There has to be another way, Sir." Ginny stated, determined. "I won't sacrifice anyone if I can help it."

"I agree, only keep this in mind as a last resort. Now, I could have sworn that I smelled blueberry scones. I love blueberry scones. They are sweet, yet filling."

The Weasleys smiled, amused despite the dire circumstances. The Headmaster would never change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
When I was a young boy, my father would take me places so that he could introduce me to those people who could help me in my rise to power. Among them had been an Italian count with a fetish for the dark arts, a very high priced assasin, and Borgin from Knockturn Alley.

Knockturn Alley had always been my favorite. Compared to Diagon, it was worn and dingy, but it had a flavor to it that promised excitement. It was dangerous in this section of the wizarding world, and I, even in my youth, enjoyed walking through it, protected by my fathers height, and his reputation.

Now, in the heart of the Alley, Borgin held court. He owned and ran a little curiosity shop, stocked with all sorts of tools to aid one in the dark arts. My father visited often, either liquidating incriminating evidence or buying much needed tools for some dark wizardry. 

For whatever reason, I learned to appreciate the eclectic selection and dark possibilities it offered. Mr. Borgin had been only too happy to answer question after question, whether to kiss up to Father, or out of real pride of his establishment, I didn't know.

Nor did I care. Today, Mr. Borgin would once again answer my questions, perhaps steer me in the proper direction. Today, I begin my conquest of the Wizarding World.

The bell over the doorway tinkled, warning the proprietor that a customer was waiting. Ignoring it, I walked confidently around the perimeter of the shop, noting the new items, and saying hello to the old.

"I'll be right there." Borgin called out, his voice coming through the curtain separating the storeroom from the sales floor. 

"It's Malfoy." I said. The man will hurry faster, knowing who I was.

"Why, it is you, Sir! Welcome!" He strode through the curtain almost immediately, his stride still quick, his demeaner still.. Unpleasant. Still, he had his uses, and I had need of them.

"Thank you, Borgin. I was wondering - do you still have the chalice that my father once sold you?"

"Your father sold me many chalice's. There was the one that turned water into a love potion, wine into poison, even one that would grant one wish to the person who owned it. Which were you referring to?"

"The one that granted wishes, of course." I replied. The man should have realized. "I have the woman I want, and poison is a cowards tool."

"Quite, quite. So you want to make a wish, do you? Well, I can help you with that. That cup has been returned to me over and over, the buyer dissatisfied with his lot. Damned thing! You are aware of it's nature?"

"Perhaps you had better explain."

"The cup will only grant one wish to a person, and only the wish that the person deserves. If he has done nothing but evil in his life, and he wishes for gold, he will get straw colored a bright gold. If he had been kind, and wishes for gold, then he will receive it. Your father sold me the chalice when he realized that he would never receive what he wanted."

"He wanted power over Lord Voldemort."

"It's not for me to say, sir. Your father had never confided in me."

"Then, tell me. If the cup is not worth my time, what is? I'm sure that you must have other items that give wishes."

"Not at the moment, Young Malfoy. But my eyes are always open. You can be sure of that. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Not yet, Borgin. But, if you find another wish, contact me. I am always interested."

Without another word, I left the store, tasting the bitter taste of defeat. 

::::There has to be another way.:::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The landscape changed slowly as the miles fell away under my feet. The sun beat down on my head, burning through my light hair, and doubtlessly turning my pale scalp a bright pink. I could feel blisters forming on my heels, and I began to wonder if I would ever escape this hell. Would I ever remember my name? Where home lay? Would I remember how I got here, or, how I would get home?

I still had no answers, and no where to turn to for help. All I could do, was hope that soon, I would find civilization, and with it, some chance that I would be known to the people there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Professor…" Ron asked, tapping his finger on the arm of his chair. "Can you tell us if there is anyway to reverse the crystals magic? I mean, it IS a spell, isn't it? So there should be some way to make it as if it never happened!"

Dumbledore sat back, contemplating the question. Originally, when the stone first performed it's magic, there had been a similar question, but no one felt that there was a viable answer. After all, who knew what part of Luthor would gain control? Killing the bad half was so much more certain, and the route they had finally decided to take. He, himself, had never agreed with that decision, knowing that repairing was always better than simple killing.

"Hmmm… I don't know, Mr. Weasley. I suppose that there should be, but we never had the opportunity to actually study the stone and it's effects, much less learn how to reverse it."

"But, it MIGHT be possible, right?"

"Theoretically…. Yes. I believe so. But, where do we start, when we have no stone to begin with? I don't believe that Mr. Malfoy will be willing to part with it."

Up until this moment, Ginny had been quiet, deep in thought. However, with this latest suggestion, she began to think in that direction, trying to gain a possible understanding of the answer. Now, she spoke.

"What about with Luthor's notes? I'm sure that he had a workroom. If he worked as hard on the crystal as you say, then he must have pages of notes full of his trials and errors. I think.. That if we want to find out how to reverse the stone… then we first have to make another."

"Are you crazy? One is bad enough, and now you want to make a second?"

"Do we have any other choice?" She hissed, turning on Ron. "I want him back the way he was - good AND evil, normal in every way! I don't want Mr. Bad, nor do I want Mr. Perfect! I want Draco!"

"I should hope that you don't wish to risk any of us, either?" Fred smirked, just to razz her.

"That too." She admitted. "Going after the stone means risking someone. This is the only acceptable possibility right now."

"Alright, then. I can understand that." Ron finally agreed. "Questions are, 1 - where is Luthor's workroom. And 2 - if his notes DO exist, and we DO make another stone.. Who gets to be the guinea pig?"

"I think, dear boy, that we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it." Dumbledore answered, then smiled. "But for now, I really must get back to the school. Minerva is fretting over the Yule ball again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
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A/N - I have finally figured out the timeline of Ginny's pregnancy… hehehe.. Sorry. I was working with the abstract idea, not the definite facts. Ginny and Draco began their relationship in the middle of April.. I figure about April 20th. She got pregnant the first time (^_^ Oi.. Talk about luck of the draw!) which would make her Due date to be Dec. 25th. I had already stated in earlier chapters that Ginny was 8 months along when Draco found her, and I have narrowed it down more exactly in this chapter, when she tells Dumbledore that she has 3 weeks left. SOO.. That makes this story take place just in time for the holidays!

Chibi Bat Duo : And what do you want for Christmas, little girl? (said leeringly to the authoress)  
Caliko: Why, Duo-kun! I want 2 Draco's, of course! Why do you think I split him!

Chibi Bat Duo: But.. What about me?? Aren't I sexy?

Caliko: You're a bat, and a chibi.. Your too strange and too young to be sexy! Go find Chibi Hilde!

Chibi Bat Duo: Hmph! She loves me more, anyway! **Sticks tongue out at Caliko, then walks away, calling out *** HILDE-Babe! Chibi Hilde-Babe! Where are you, Hilde?

Sorry.. Sometimes, I get a bit silly! /sigh/ now I have to add another disclaimer.. /sigh/

Duo and Hilde belong to Gundam Wing, and I make no money from their appearance as my muses.

Anyway, Some 'bad' news. I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter out. I start classes on Thursday, and I'm pulling a double major. I DO PROMISE TO TRY FOR A CHAPTER A MONTH, at LEAST, hopefully more.. But there you go. I don't know how hard this is going to be until I try, and I'm not sure how much time I will need to devote to my studies until I start.

So, wish me luck, and please be patient!  
~Caliko~


	7. The Next Dread Lord Of Evil

I own NOTHING! ^_^ Anyway, sorry for the long wait between chapters! All I can say is that college is HARD! I know.. I know..it's been about 1 ½ semesters since my last chapter, not 1 month… but, I TRIED! Gomen Nasai!!!  
~Caliko

Compulsion - Chapter 8  
By Caliko

I entered the pub and sat down with my back against the wall and my eyes facing forward. Catching the barkeeps glance, I nodded, grabbing the tall mug as it floated in the air towards me. I had to blend in, after all, and to do that, I needed the ale. 

Not that I was about to drink it, of course. The dark brown liquid stank of strange herbs and had a thin oily film over the top. Knowing my luck, it was poisoned in an attempt to keep Knockturn Alley's population down.

:::Which would be an improvement.::: I thought, smirking.

So far, I couldn't find anyone worth recruiting for my little uprising. Not one of any talent, powerful enough to be of use, but weak enough to dominate, crossed my path this day. I needed someone like my father, only trust worthier. My father would only try to take over.

Running my eyes over the dingy room, I noticed this girl watching me. She was petite, like Gin, only better endowed on top. Her jet-black hair was cut short and sleek over her head, making her appear waif-like in the short wispy tunic that floated over her thighs. Suspicion creased her face, sparking my interest. 

:::Obviously some intelligence.::: I brought my mug up to my lips, pretending to sip. ::::But not enough.:::

She had turned away, content to believe whatever story her mind invented to explain my presence. Either she lacked the nerve to investigate, or she didn't have the imagination to suspect a person could decide to replace Voldemort as the next dread overlord of evil. 

:::This is tedious.::: 

The rest of the blank faces in the room gave me little encouragement. If she was the best the pub had to offer, then I had no choice but to start with her. After all, I can always replace her later on when I ran across someone better. Until then… The girl did have a great ass. What Ginny didn't know, and all that.

I got up, leaving my drink on the table. Then, walking up to my choice, I rested my arms on the bar, trapping her between them. Pouting, I looked up at her through my silvery hair, and gave her my most sensuous smile.

"Hello." The warmth never reached my eyes. "Do you believe in sin?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gin, you stay here." I said to my sister, watching her pout. Rolling my eyes, I pointed to the steep stone stairway that descended into the dark ground. "We don't need you falling." I reminded her.

"It's only a set of stairs, Ron." She moved to step around me, growling when I refused to let her pass.

"Yeah. And it probably leads to another dead end."

So far, we had found three empty stone basements, and none of them had a secret passageway. 

"At this rate, we would never find Luthor Malfoy's workroom." Fred groaned, holding his torch high as he went first.

We had discovered early on that Luthor's dungeon didn't allow wizard lights. The wands would stay lit for a moment, then fade away as if they had lost power. In desperate annoyance, we finally lit one of the torches that lined the hallway.

"I hope not. This is the last dungeon that the locating spell found." Ginny said, finally slipping past me. 

I sighed, defeated. She did have more right than I to be there.

"This is creepy." George muttered, his eyes following the darting shadows that creeped over the walls.

"No…" Fred returned. "Creepy is our Gin trying to get the old Malfoy back. This dungeon is just morbid."

"Hey, what's that?" I had seen something flicker in the shadows that didn't quite match the flickering of the torches. "Over there." I pointed, as the twins looked everywhere but where I was referring to. Ginny, however, must have seen it, as well, since she walked quickly in the right direction.

"It looks like some kind of latch." She said, holding her hand out to brush against the dank wall. "It's hot!" 

She snatched her hand back and cradled it against her breast. 

"Hot?" That's weird….

"Weird!" George echoed my thoughts out loud. "Everything else down here is cold and wet, but that's hot?"

"Maybe we're getting close. Luthor must have had some sort of protection spells on his workroom. This may be one of them!"

"You're right, Gin. Stand back and give me a crack at it!"

Ron moved to grab the latch, only to fall back as a crackling of magic flew off of the metal handle to attack his hand. Undaunted, he tried again, only to dodge an even bigger bolt of power. The defense got stronger each time he made a move towards the door.

"This is why Mum warns us about messing with things we don't understand." I said. "I think we had better speak to Dumbledore, see if Luthor had any friends he might have consulted."

"Maybe one of them knows how to get past the defenses. Until then, we can look in the library. Maybe some of the family spell books have a clue." George pointed out. 

His twin nodded, equally unwilling to become the next target. "You know who we need?" Fred asked, his eyes serious for once. "We need Hermione and Percy. With those two working on it, we're sure to find something."

The group retreated to the stairs and started up. "You're right, but do we want even more people hanging around? Won't Draco the Evil figure out that something's up?" I asked, wanting to see Hermione, but unwilling to put her into any danger.

"I was missing for the last five months, of course my family would come to visit!" Gin pointed out. "And at a time like this, a girl needs her friends, too."

"We can always invite Harry. Really keep him too pissed to think straight."

I choked, then let it out as we came to the main floor off the decrepit castle. "Why not?" I finally said, sputtering. "The more the merrier, and all that." 

"Just in time for Draco-baby's little ball." Gin grinned, appreciating the torment that her evil quarter would be going through.

"Then, my lady," I bowed, sweeping her out of the main hall, "by all means, let's send the invites!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stopped, staring at the brightly lit town, unconvinced that my eyes were telling me true. I knew this place. I don't know how, but I did! I wandered down the now cobbled road, my eyes darting into each window that I passed. Deep familiarity settled into my chest. Somehow, I had the sense of being home… or at least somewhere that I knew as well as home. Well, if I knew where my home was, that is.

I shook my head, smiling. I didn't even mind my mind rambling as it was. All I cared about was getting food into my belly, and finding someone that might know me. I stopped at a place called the 'Three Broomsticks' and went in. Maybe someone would take pity on me and allow me to earn enough money for a meal or two. As for finding a friend - well, I could always hope.

There was a Christmas tree in the corner, and a long ancient bar in the back. A number of scarred wooden tables were scattered around the room, filled by kids of all ages wearing black robes. I Blinked, then slowly inched my way forward until I stood in front of the bar, coughing slightly to get the barmaid's attention.

"Mr. Malfoy!" 

:::Malfoy? Was.. Was that my name? :::::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Gin! I'm home!" Draco's voice rang out as he walked towards me. He was wearing a coarsely woven robe that reached his thighs with dark green slacks beneath. I had never seen them on him before, but I recognized the type as those worn in the poorer sections of Wizards London. 

He was calm, jovial even, and for a moment, I wondered if everything had been in my head. He seemed so normal, not like the creepy Draco that had fought his father that morning. I had a stray thought that maybe that wretched crystal had been nothing but a figment of my imagination. Then, he came closer, and I sensed the stone nearby. He still had it on him.

"I thought that you were going to lock that up in the safe?" I asked, pulling away as he leaned down to kiss me.

"I haven't gotten around to it. I will after dinner." He shrugged then sat down on the couch. "Your brothers gone?"

"For now. They went to get some clothes. They decided to help you pull guard duty, at least until we figure out what your father is going to do next." I kept my voice steady when he turned to look at me. His eyes were cold and mocking, and his lips twisted in a strange smirk. "My father wouldn't dare come here again, not without an invitation from me."

"You don't know that, Draco. Anyway, they can help me plan for the ball."

"Virginia, my father knows that the next time he comes here, I'll kill him. As for the ball, I have servants to do that."

"Draco, please. I want my family close to me right now. I'm scared, and I'm due any day now, and I..I. Dammit! I want my Mum!"

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. You don't have to overact, Love. Just keep them away from me, alright?" He bounced up, "I'm going to take a soak. Wanna scrub my back?"

:::Er.. Sexy evil Draco… Naked.. Get a hold of yourself! It's not like you can seduce him with your sex appeal right now!::: "Later, alright? I'm feeling a bit tired."

He looked closely at me, noticing the dark circles under my eyes. "What were you doing all day?"

"Just walking, Draco. Go.. take your bath. I think I'll take a nap before dinner."

Draco nodded, then walked away, looking back once to see if I had moved. Then, stopping at the door, he stopped. "Don't let your brothers drag you all over the place tomorrow. You need your sleep if your going to keep my son healthy." Then, without another word, he was gone.

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	8. The Gang is Gathering!

Disclaimer - ok, we all know that I don't own this, right? Good….so let's get on with me telling this convoluted tale while the muse is on my back. J   
I apologize ahead of time for any stiff writing. It's been a LONG time since I worked on this story (or really any story, really.) I'll try to get better at this as I move along.  
Now, for an easier understanding of this, the main narrators in this chapter are (in this order) Draco the Good, Ron, Ginny, then Draco the bad. I'll try to start writing the next part of this fic this week, but I have no idea when the next chapter will be out. The plot is this massive dark blob in the middle of my head, and I have to unravel it enough to be able to type it out.

Compulsion - Chapter 9  
By Caliko

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The tap room was silent after the woman shouted out. I didn't know whether 'Malfoy' was my name or not, but after witnessing the hostile looks that where directed at me, I hoped to heaven that it was not. I blushed, my eyes darting over the glares and back to the barmaid.

"Um.. were you talking to me?" I asked for want of anything better to say.

She rolled her eyes, then nodded. "You're the only Malfoy here. Who else would I be talking to?"

"Am I?"

"Are you what?" She sounded like she was beginning to get a bit annoyed with me, and I began to wonder If I should just explain my predicament. After all, I doubted if I was just going to stumble across all my answers.

"Am I Malfoy."

"What? Look, I don't have time -" She didn't seem to understand, and I could tell that this women had no idea what the word 'patience' meant. I decided to cut her off before I ended up thrown out.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I had an accident, and I don't remember anything. Please, If you know who I am, can you help me?"

The woman closed her mouth, staring. Shortly, she motioned me to a seat and put a mug of something brown on the bar in front of me. "Are you serious?" She asked, distrust shining from her eyes. "If this is just another one of your tricks, Draco Malfoy, You'll have me to hear from!"

"My first name is Draco?" It sounded right. Or, at least, it sounded familiar.

"Merlin's beard! You're serious!" She arched her head up to shout across the room. "Hey, Tom! Go get me some paper and a quill! I think I need to write a letter!"

"A letter?" I asked, watching as Tom handed the barmaid a piece of paper and a quill before sitting down next to me. "To who?"

She sighed, then began to write, explaining at the same time. "To Dumbledore at the school. You used to attend Hogwarts, so he should be able to get in touch with your family. Lord knows, the rest of us don't want to."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I apparated back home only long enough to tell Mum and Dad where I was going. Then, grabbing a slice of cake from the plate on the table, I ducked under Mum's wooden spoon and popped out again grinning. Nothing like a sugar boost when your battling your evil soon to be brother in law.

Harry was home, of course. The department had been keeping him running around for months after illegal electric knives turned magically deadly and talking poker cards that cheated for you when the stakes where high enough. Knowing this, of course, I apparated directly into his room, knowing exactly where to find him. He was right where I knew he would be, in his bed with his feet on the pillow and his head under the blanket. Poor guy. He really needed a break from investigations. Too bad I had to give him more work. evil grin

I jumped onto his bed, watching as his feet rose three feet in the air only to fall back to his pillow with a thump. "Oi, Harry! Wake up!"

"G'way." his voice mumbled from under the blanket. 

"C'mon! It's about Ginny!"

"I know, I know.. You found 'er. Now go way."

"HARRY! This is important! Wake up!" Ok, this might be harder than I thought it would be. "C'mon, Mate! There's some pretty dark magic going on!"

"She's having Malfoy's baby.. Of course there's dark magic going on." He sat up, awake despite himself. Coherent, too. 

:::Guess dark magic is the key to waking him up. The ministry must of brainwashed him.::: Ron smirked, then moved to open the heavy shade to let some light in.

"I need sleep, Ron." Harry muttered, reaching to the floor to pick up his glasses. "This had better be good."

I filled him in quickly, leaving out nothing. I was only three sentences past 'weird evil crystal' before he was out of bed and reaching for the pair of trousers that he had left on the floor. By the time I told him about Draco being split, his shirt was buttoned and he had a bag packed, ready to go.

"So…" I smirked, "Does this mean you want to help?" Harry only arched his brow in a really scary imitation of Malfoy on a bad day. "Don't do that!" I really couldn't help the shuddering, "You LOOK like Malfoy, and two of them are already two too many!" He just rolled his eyes.

"Tell me again about the door. Did the shocks come harder for everyone, or only for the person who originally touched it?"

"Ginny and I were the only one's to touch it. It was hot for her, but the minute I got near the door, fire started to spark out of the knob." I stopped kidding around, now that I had him thinking. Harry had the most experience with dark magic and I was hoping that he would think of something.

"But it was only hot for Ginny?" He had a weird expression on his face. "I wonder if the protection spell is triggered by blood…"

"Huh? But I'm Ginny's brother! It should have had the same reaction for both of us!" 

"You are not pregnant with a Malfoy." Yes, there was a definite gleam in his eye.

"Thank God for that! So what are you saying?" I really hoped it wasn't what I think he was saying.

"Ginny may be able to open the door. At least, until she gives birth, that is."

:::Damn.. he was saying what I thought he was saying.:::: "No! I absolutely forbid it! She can get hurt!"

"I think not. Blood spells have been known to recognize a fetus as a family member. As a matter of fact, during the Roman period, Celtic chiefs were known to give their daughters in marriage to end blood feuds. In reality, however, it was so that one of his own clan would be readily available to break dark spells if the truce should ever sour."

"So you think this protection spell is like that?"

"Hmmm.. I want to talk to Hermione about it, see if she knows more. But, yeah. I think it's like that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We tracked Percy down at his job in Scotland. He had quit the Ministry after Voldemort came back, too ashamed of having been pigheaded and blindly following Fudge into the realm of stupidity. Now, he worked in a private museum for a rich, absentee muggle boss. His job was not top secret, not involved with magic, and he worked alone acquiring and cataloguing rare books and museum-quality weapons from the medieval period. In other words, he was hiding from the world. Getting him to help us on this was not going to be easy.

We watched him as he examined a battered looking shield, frowning as he turned it over and angled it this way and that. Every once in a while he scribbled something down in a notebook, then went back to hating the object in his hands.

"Hey, Perce…" I called out, breaking his concentration. "Got a minute?" He looked up, surprised to see us. 

"When did you get here?" He avoided Harry's eyes, still unable to meet them after over two years.

"A couple minutes ago." Harry pretended that nothing was wrong. "We were waiting for you to fling that shield into a wall."

Percy blushed. "It's not the best piece, and Mr. Manten paid too much for it." He explained. "Did you two need something, or is this a social call?"

"Well.." I stalled, a little embarrassed. The last time I saw my brother was when I had to borrow money to pay a wager I lost on a quidditch game. "Um, actually, Percy… we need your mind."

For the next half hour I answered questions fired in rapid precision, only to be told almost the exact same thing that Harry figured. Then, he announced that his lunch was over and that we had to go.

"But, aren't you going with us?" I blinked. After his interest in the situation, I was sure that I had his curiosity up.

"Can't." He said shortly, "I have work to do, and you two are more than capable of handling this… better than I am, anyway."

"She's your sister, too!" I was suddenly pissed, but he ignored my outrage. 

"Yes, she is. I'll come to the ball, I'll come to the wedding, and I'll even give her a place to hide if she needs it. But, I'm not very good dealing with this stuff, Ron. I thought you might have figured that out already. You and Harry are the aurors. You two have been fighting evil and dark magic since you were eleven, while I was hiding my head from the truth. Neither of you need me with this… not when you have your own experiences to fall back on. Besides, Hermione will be there, and she's much better at research than I am."

"But, damn it, Percy! We need you!" I couldn't believe that he wasn't going to help.

"Ron, leave him alone. He already confirmed what I thought, and we know where he is if we need advice. Just leave it be." Harry stood up and pushed his chair in.

"Harry!" Him, too?

"Ron.. He's not ready for this. Leave him alone."

I glanced at Harry, then looked, really looked at Percy. He was thinner than ever, if you could believe it. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his hands shook as he reached for his tea. For the first time in my life, I really saw him. Percy had lowered his gaze, not looking at me, his face flushed with embarrassment. Where had my cocky, know-it-all brother gone, and who was this insecure wraith that stood in front of me? Nodding, I swallowed. Then, reaching across the narrow worktable, I pulled him into the first hug I could remember ever volunteering for this brother. 

"Sorry, Perce. I didn't mean to hound you. I'll keep you filled in, alright?"

He was stiff as a board in my arms, his hands slowly hesitating as he hugged me back. "That would be good." Percy said, his voice a little gruff. "If I come across anything that might help, I'll call you by floo."

Nodding again, I gave him a quick smile. "Alright, then Mate. Let's go hound Hermione, then torture Draco the Bad some more."

We apparated directly into Hermione's flat, unprepared for the screams that met our ears. Then, realizing what we were seeing, I threw my hand over Harry's wide, staring eyes and spun him around.

"Um.. Sorry, Love." I apologized to my girlfriend. "Didn't realize that you were just getting dressed."

"Turn around, Weasley!" She screeched, grabbing the sheet from the pull out couch. "And don't you have the manners to call ahead?"

I just shrugged, not even daring to touch that one. It would have only taken a minute to have called from Percy's. The truth was…

"I didn't even think of it." I gave her a sheepish smile, then turned around to face the door. Hermione and I had decided to wait till we got married, and I really didn't need the temptation to change my mind right now… at least, not until we were alone.

"You can turn around now." I could tell that she was still bugged, but she'd get over it. (A.N. - Why do men think like this? ) "Now, what can I do for you boys? Ron, get your mind out of the gutter."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Harry cut me off. :::::::Good Mate… keeps me from having to buy flowers to make up with her later.:::::

Hermione, we need your help to research a problem. Can you take a couple weeks off?"

Of course, my Girl got excited as we explained everything. She loved to sink her teeth into a good puzzle, and this one was a doozy!

"Alright! Count me in!"

__________________________________________________

I walked carefully past the bathroom on my way to the bedroom, not wanting to talk to him right now. I couldn't quite trust myself with a naked, wet Draco - evil or not. He still looked the same, still had that cocky attitude, and that dark aura that lured me to him in the first place was in full force. God help me, but I have always loved a bad boy. The way my hormone laced body was reacting lately, I wouldn't care that the normal tenderness I saw in his eyes was absent. He had just to touch me, and I would melt. Thinking about him, I could almost feel his hands on my body, the fingers tracing the curve of my hip, his lips breathing hotly in my ear as his hardness pressed into thighs.

::::Shit! What is wrong with me? This ISN'T the man I love, this is just his bad attitude!::: I told myself, swallowing hard as I finally made it past the bathroom door. Reluctantly, I moved on, creeping near silently into the bedroom. :::I'll have dinner sent up… tell him I'm too tired to come down.::: Yes, it was the cowards way out. Just give me a chicken suit and leave me alone.

___________________________________________

Draco came into the bedroom an hour later, rubbing the terry cloth towel over his wet hair. He noticed Ginny sleeping on the bed, cradling a pillow under her swollen belly. Her hair strewn over the pillow, copper and scarlet entwined in a garish display of silk, contrasting sharply with the white of the sheets under her. One hand lay in front of her turned face, resting mere inches from her lips and grasping at something that only she saw in her dreams. The other rested on her stomach, curved lightly over the life that lay inside.

He walked over to her, trying to think about the emotions his other self had felt for her. He knew that it was love, but couldn't quite remember what it felt like. He knew that it existed. After all, he had felt those feelings just a few short days ago. 

Now? Now he felt the pride of possession, for the woman and the child. He gloated, knowing that his having Virginia pissed the hell out of her brothers. He felt ambition. Someday, the baby would be a man - one that he could prepare to rule the world beside him. This was true immortality - offspring who would remember your name, your face, what you taught them. His father never recognized that fact, hence his father would never be immortal. Yet, he, Draco Malfoy would be.

He reached down and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, hesitating as Virginia frowned in her sleep. His hand hovered over her pale cheeks, then drew back. Without another thought, he left her, going into his dressing room to prepare for dinner.

:::::Fuck it. I'll leave this sentimental crap to the other me. Let him be the weak one.::::

TBC


	9. A Hint Of things to come

A/N - as you can tell, I moved away from writing in the first person this chapter. I don't know if I'll go back to it… probably not… but it was just too difficult to get the wording right that way. (Ok, I was halfway down the second page when I realized what I had done, and was way too lazy to fix it. Also, It wasn't the first time I did it, so I decided to just leave it.) At some point in the future, I may or may not go back and change the other nine chapters to third person, but again, I'm a lazy prat about rewrites. Anywho, I don't own the characters, but the story line is all mine. Oh yeah, Draco's slut is an original character who might end up with a bigger part somewhere in this thing. Anyone have any ideas about names? I'm horrible naming characters… I'm also looking for baby names.. what do ya'll think.. boy or girl? vote when you review!

Caliko

Compulsion - Chapter ten  
By Caliko

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"My Lord - I have something to tell you." Lucius Malfoy simpered, relieved that he finally had something worthwhile to report. "It's about my son, Draco."

Voldemort turned his cold eyes down to look at his former right hand. Malfoy had become next to worthless since his foray into the Department of Mysteries. His glib tongue and deep pockets had managed to keep him out of prison, but the watch that had been put on the formerly robust deatheater had put an end to his usefulness. 

He had sworn in court under a truth serum that it had not been him, that it must have been someone using polyjuice potion to incriminate him. Since the potion had never failed to uncover the truth before, the Ministry had no choice but to accept him at his word. However, too many people had come forward to testify against him, reporting, also under the truth serum that they had seen him countless times with known deatheaters. As a compromise, the ministry had put him under surveillance. 

For a moment, the Dark Lord allowed a dark humor to seep from his face, then vanished the emotion from being seen. It was elementary dark magic to learn how to lie under truth serum. A simple obliviate spell would remove the memory, and the subject would honestly believe that he hadn't done any questionable action. The truth potion couldn't distinguish lies if the liar didn't know he was lying. 

"Are we speaking of the same son that you have failed to bring to the fold, Lucius?" He drawled, knowing full well that Malfoy Sr. only had one child.

"Yes, My Lord." The man practically simpered, eager to get back in his master's graces.

"I do not see how anything about that traitor would be of interest to me." Voldemort purposely turned away, reaching down to the table next to him for the glass of scotch he had left there.

"Master, please. This will definitely be of interest. It's about the strange power he has gained. Sir, I think that he may almost be as powerful as you."

The Dark Lord froze midway between standing and sitting in the deep burgundy and mahogany chair, then continued to lower his frail body into the deep cushions. "Impossible, Lucius. I think the strain of being watched has done something to your mind."

Lucius kneeled in front of Voldemort, his head lowered, his eyes looking at the oriental rug in front of his knees. Dusty sunlight halted mere inches from his legs, as if forbidden to touch the Master's translucently pale skin. "Sir, it's true. He threw me from the room with just a thought. His eyes glowed a deep blue, and he raised his hand, palm out. The next thing I knew, I was slammed into the wall. Sir, there was a strange wind in the room, a wind that seemed to come from him. I was helpless to fight it, sir. It forced me from the house. I came here as soon as I could escape my watchers, just so I could inform you of this."

Voldemort listened, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair, with his chin cushioned in his palm. He seemed bored, almost uninterested, but Lucius knew that he had his attention. "How long has he had this power, and where did he get it?"

"I do not know, Master. I had only witnessed it that once."

"Get out, and find me answers. You should have known better than to come to me unprepared."

"But, Sir… Where should I start?"

Voldemort rolled his eyes, then waved his wand. Lucius hadn't even seen him pick it up. "Crucio" He spat, almost bored as his minion started to moan and twitch on the floor. "Crucio" He said again, just for spite. Then, with another flick of his wand, Malfoy was still. "Get out of my sight, Lucius. I do not wish to see you until you can explain your whelp's new powers."

*****************************

It was rather cold in the dark dungeons of Draco's ancestral castle. Despite being underground, a damp draft flowed through the endless passages that led Luthors workroom, making the torch flicker and hiss as the two flame haired twins stopped to examine the door one more time.

"Why are we here again?" Fred asked as he lit the sconces on either side of the bespelled latch. 

"I just can't stop thinking that we missed something, Gred." George replied, his eyes twitching over the wall that blocked their way. The only clue that it was a doorway was the latch that was set into the ancient stones. Other than that, it looked no different than the walls that lined the rest of the corridor. "It's just too…simple. We found no other clues to the workroom. Just this stupid lever set into a dead end. As far as we know, there are no other ways into Luther's laboratory, and this way won't let anyone in."

"Hmm.. true, dear brother. Besides all that, we don't even know if this IS the way to the lab. Or if the lab is on the other side of that wall."

"I never thought of that!" A strange gleam came from Georges eyes as he lifted his torch up high to inspect the ceiling.

"What are you doing?" Fred began to mimic his twin, his neck twisting to unnatural angles as he looked for something new.

"Here." George beckoned, pointing to a nearly invisible seam on the ceiling. "Look there."

"Blimey… but what does it mean?" Fred began to follow the seam with his eyes, walking a complete circle in the process. "We're supposed to go up?"

"Yup. That lever must open the passage up."

"Little good that does us if we can't touch the lever, Feorge." Fred's mouth twisted sourly. "We're still stuck."

"True, Gred. But at least we know we're on the right track. Besides, maybe we don't need to touch the lever. Maybe it's supposed to lead the unwary away from the laboratory."

"Doubt that… but you could have something about the latch. It's possible that we may be able to blow a hole in the ceiling. We're good at that stuff."

"Exactly." George grinned. "Let's go tell Ginny what we found."

"After you, dear brother." Fred bowed, sweeping his arm out in front of him.

"Why thank you, brother." George loped forward, a definite prance in his step. "Would you extinguish the torches, chum?"

"Of course."

Minutes later, the two boys reached the rickety stairway and ascended into the ruins of the castle courtyard. Then, with a pop of displaced air, they were away, searching for their youngest sibling to report their findings.

****************************************

Ginny stretched, then rolled into a fetal position on the bed when a sharp pain lanced out around her belly. Moaning, she slowly straitened on the bed, rubbing the aching muscle that complained. She hated that feeling that came almost every morning. It was almost as if the baby didn't want her to wake up yet, comfortable and at peace only when her body was laying prone and stationary on a bed. 

As the pain subsided, she glanced out the window, noticing that the sun had completely set. :::It must be close to dinnertime.::: Ginny thought, forcing her protesting muscles to move. :::I should get dressed. Everyone should be here already.::: She didn't want to move, but she also didn't want Draco the bad in the same room as Harry without her to run interference.

Wincing as the cold floor met her bare feet, she stood, then padded to her wardrobe. Taking out a warm robe and a pair of woolen socks, she dressed quickly before running a brush through her mangled hair. Then, with one last look in the mirror, she was gone, following the sound of loud insults through the house.

"You prick! Who the hell taught you to play chess?" Ron was growling, his voice cracking as he watched his king lay down.

"You did." Harry's voice was smug as Ron's king bowed down to him. "Remember, first year?"

"Shut up." Ron fumed, not a good loser at all. "I can't believe you beat me!"

"Come off it, Ron. He was due." Ginny grinned, standing in the doorway. "Take some pride in the fact that he's YOUR student."

"GINNY!" Harry leapt up and hugged her. "How are you feeling, Mum?" He pulled away, staring at the huge belly that was pressed against him.

"I'm fine, Harry. Never been better." 

"Where's Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since I went for a nap. So, have you managed to talk to Hermione and Percy?"

"Hermione is here, but Percy couldn't leave work. She should be back soon. She just had to pick some things up from the store. Women! Why do you insist on shopping the first day your someplace new?"

"Get used to it, Weasley. It's something that just is." Draco walked past Harry and Ginny and sat down in the armchair in front of the fire. "They arrive with one suitcase, and take home three. By the way, Virginia, the clones were looking for you earlier. They said they'll see you at dinner."

Ginny wondered what they wanted, but didn't say anything. The last thing she needed was for Draco to ask questions she couldn't answer. "Harry, I'll play you next, alright?"

"Sure, Gin." 

She watched Draco out of the corner of her eye as she followed Harry to the chess board, amazed that he was being civil. She shrugged it off, and was soon lost in the strategy of Wizard Chess.

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Severus Snape was waiting in the headmasters office for his former charge. Dumbledore had explained everything to him as soon as he returned from Mr. Malfoys estate, and what he had learned worried him. That kind of power would be tempting to Voldemort, but in the hands of Draco the Bad, a being that was divorced from his good side, it was just as bad. Now he learned that the other half of the equation was wandering around Hogsmead with no memory of who or what he was.

He paced the floor, his dark robes swirling around his legs and his hair bouncing against his back with each step. Severus could only hope that Dumbledore gets to Malfoy before the boys father did.

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Draco the good eyed the man sitting in front of him, unsure if he could trust him. The last few days had been unsettling, and he was afraid to trust anyone. Unfortunately, he didn't have much choice, considering that he only learned his own name a few short hours ago.

Dumbledore still had not said a word to him since he came into the tavern. He simply walked into the Three Broomsticks and meandered gracefully to where he sat in the back. His long white beard swayed with every step he took, brushing against the front of the long purple robe that he wore. Behind his half-moon glasses, blue eyes twinkled, as if he knew something that he didn't. ::::Of course he knows something you don't, you prat. You barely know your own name!:::: Still, the attitude grated on one, regardless if the old man intended it or not.

"Well, young Malfoy, I must say that I'm very glad to see you. Strange things have been happening lately - and they all revolve around you."

"Sir?" Draco leaned forward to listen better. It would seem that he was finally going to get some answers. "What strange things?"

"Not here, my boy. Too many prying ears. If you would accompany me back to Hogwarts, I will be able to explain things just a little better."

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Grrr.. Another short chapter. Sorry everyone! I just have a short attention span lately. Anyway, please review… I'm desperate for some kind words… desperate enough to blackmail…. Hehehehehehhehe… I want at least 5 reviews before I even BEGIN to write the next chappie. ^_^ it's not a lot… and it may help me get past my writers block. ~ Caliko


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